China has sent its "massive congratulations" to Mauritius after the island nation secured a multi-billion-pound deal for the Chagos Islands.
The 99-year deal to lease the UK-US Diego Garcia base is set to cost British taxpayers up to £30billion - more than double Mauritius's annual GDP.
And China has backed it, despite Sir Keir Starmer's claims as he announced the handover last week.
"In favour are all of our allies: the US, Nato, Five Eyes, India," the Prime Minister said.
Chinese ambassador Huang Shifang (left) 'fully supports' Mauritius in its 'quest to safeguard national sovereignty'
GOVERNMENT OF MAURITIUS
"Against it: Russia, China, Iran - and, surprisingly, the Leader of the Opposition and Nigel Farage are in that column alongside Russia, China and Iran, rather than the column that has the UK and its allies in it."
Today, Mauritian newspaper Le Mauricien reported that the country's Chinese ambassador Huang Shifang "fully supports" Mauritius in its "quest to safeguard national sovereignty".
The news, uncovered by political blog Guido Fawkes, has sparked a Tory pile-on.
Conservative peer Lord Kempsell said: "Starmer has been caught in a brazen lie. He claimed 'Russia, China and Iran' opposed his Chagos deal.
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'Starmer has been caught in a brazen lie,' Tory peer Lord Kempsell said
REUTERS
"But here, the Chinese ambassador in Mauritius welcomes it and offers 'massive congratulations'. Starmer must retract this claim."
While Shadow Foreign Secretary Priti Patel blasted: "Keir Starmer lied when he claimed China opposed Labour's Chagos surrender deal.
"Communist China has been backing Mauritius all the way, and here's the proof."
Meanwhile, Reform UK's deputy leader Richard Tice said: "If China backs the Chagos deal, all the more reason to rip it up. Surrender."
PICTURED: Richard Tice embraces a member of the British Chagossian community as they wait to hear the outcome of a court injunction that temporarily blocked the UK from concluding Chagos Islands deal with Mauritius
REUTERS
Later on Thursday, Shadow Defence Secretary James Cartlidge wrote to the Prime Minister demanding he retracts his "offensive and ill-judged" claims about China.
He wrote: "Your suggestion that HM Opposition is somehow siding with China has now been proven to be factually inaccurate as they support your deal - but when we have supported you so strongly on Ukraine, and backed your military action against Iranian-backed Houthis, to be accused effectively of siding with China, Russia and Iran is totally unacceptable.
"I look forward to your apology."
The British Government had said the average cost over the 99 years stood at £101million annually - a total of £3.4billion.
But the Tories have said the "surrender tax", assuming inflation of two per cent, will actually cost £30billion.
GB News has approached the Foreign Office for comment.
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