U.S., China and the Showdown Over Diego Garcia Military Base

The tiny island of Diego Garcia is home to a strategically important U.S.-U.K. military base that sits in the heart of the Indian Ocean. It’s currently being used to carry out strikes against Houthis in Yemen and telegraph a warning to Iran over its nuclear program. But this critical military base’s future is up in the air as China could soon extend influence there.

WSJ explores how this island could be exposed to China if the U.K. moves forward on plans to cede control of the Chagos Islands to the Beijing-friendly African nation of Mauritius.

Chapters:
0:00 Island of Diego Garcia
0:41 The current situation
1:37 History of the Chagos Islands
2:16 Strategic importance
3:19 Sen. John Kennedy
4:24 Legal pressure to return to Mauritius
5:44 China’s influence and Trump