China could ‘veto’ US access to the world, Trump document says

China could “effectively veto” the US’s access to trading in the Indo-Pacific if the world’s second largest economy continues to build up its military forces, the Trump administration’s national defence strategy paper has said, putting Keir Starmer’s Chagos deal under intense scrutiny. A document published by President Trump’s Department of War has described China as the “most powerful state” compared to the US since the 19th century, with its potential to spend more on military being labelled a major development. The paper said the US’s security was linked to the Indo-Pacific as the region would “soon make up more than…