Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 5 December 2024 to Question 16475 on China: Mauritius, whether he plans to monitor the (a) implementation and (b) potential implications for his policies of paragraph 3.4.4.2 of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation Beijing Action Plan 2025-27; and what information his Department holds on the commitment of the government of Mauritius to these aims for Diego Garcia.

As with previous FOCAC commitments we will monitor their implementation and implications for UK policy. The UK will take a consistent and pragmatic approach to China's role in Africa - we will cooperate where we can, compete where we have different interests, and challenge where we must.

The UK continues to support the principle and practice of Nuclear Weapon Free Zones as a way to build confidence between regional states, and as a successful tool of non-proliferation. This includes the Pelindaba Treaty, of which we have signed and ratified the first and second Protocols, giving legally binding Negative Security Assurances to all signatory states in the region.

It is for Mauritius to comment on its own national approach.

The British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) agreement between the UK and Mauritius protects the long-term secure operation of the UK-US base that plays a vital role in regional and international security.