Argentine President Javier Milei has called for a Hong Kong-style Handover of the disputed Falklands from the UK.

Javier Milei’s TV address on Thursday, September 3, 2026. Photo: Screenshot.

In an interview with The Economist published after a TV speech he gave last Thursday, Milei said: “The UK did this with Hong Kong, so why not find the agreement so that sooner or later the islands return to Argentina? They’re ours.”

The president added that he was seeking a “consensus solution” to bring the archipelago under Argentine control, and that his citizens “do not believe in war.”

In his TV address, the president spoke of “winds of change,” dismissing the UK as a country “in decline,” and unveiling plans for a new military base in Tierra del Fuego.

The comments came as US President Donald Trump cast doubt on US support for Britain’s control of the territory.

Vote to remain British

The self-governing islands in the South Atlantic are known as the Malvinas in Argentina, though they have been under British administration since 1841.

A ten-week war in 1982 over the possession of the Falklands saw a British naval task force repel Argentinian forces. Over 900 military personnel, including three residents, were killed in the conflict.

In 2013, 99.8 per cent of Falklanders voted to remain a British Overseas Territory during a sovereignty referendum. A similar vote in 1986 saw 96.45 per cent of voters support British control.

Last week, UK Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband said that the UK’s military support of the Falklands was “unwavering.”

“The islands are British and will remain so because that is the overwhelming position of the islanders… Their right of self-determination is paramount, grounded in international law and we will resolutely uphold it,” he said.

1997 Handover

The 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration between London and Beijing gave rise to the 1997 Handover. It was agreed that the city’s political system would be maintained for 50 years.

The handover ceremony for Hong Kong held on July 1, 1997. Photo: GovHK.

However, in 2020, following the enactment of the national security law, Britain said the 1984 declaration had been violated.