Cook Islands signs partnership deal with China

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Cook Islands signs partnership deal with China

By Reuters

February 15, 2025  5:15 PM GMT

Prime Minister of the Cook Islands Mark Brown speaks during a summit with Pacific Island nation leaders hosted by U.S. President Joe Biden at the White House in Washington, U.S., September 25, 2023. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File Photo Purchase Licensing Rig

SYDNEY, Feb 15 (Reuters) - The Cook Islands said on Saturday that it signed a comprehensive strategic partnership deal with China, a move expected to raise concerns in New Zealand with which it has constitutional ties.

Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown and Chinese Premier Li Qiang signed the deal in Harbin, the capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang province, Brown's office said in a statement.

"This provides opportunities for our government, our private sector and our people to benefit from enhanced partnership opportunities with China in areas aligned with our national interests and long-term development goals," Brown said.

The partnership established a framework for engagement on "priority areas" like trade and investment, tourism, ocean science, aquaculture, agriculture, infrastructure climate resilience and disaster preparedness, according to the statement.

Brown said this month he was heading to China seeking the partnership - drawing ire from New Zealand, which is increasingly cautious about China's growing presence in the Pacific region.

The office of New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters said in a statement on Saturday that "once available, New Zealand will consider the agreements closely, in light of our interests and our mutual constitutional responsibilities".

The Cook Islands, a self-governing Pacific country halfway between New Zealand and Hawaii, can interact with the international community as an independent state. But New Zealand provides budget support and commits to defend the island nation, whose people are New Zealand citizens.

New Zealand has said its concerns about Brown's visit to China stem from not having seen the agreements that he plans to sign ahead of the trip, even though it asked to review them.

In China, Brown has held talks with institutions on marine science, climate resilience and economic cooperation, he said in a Facebook post on Thursday.

New Zealand, a U.S. ally, has expressed wariness about Beijing's growing presence in the South Pacific amid fears it could destabilise Western influence

Cook Islands government releases details of deal with China

February 18, 2025

Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown' during his recent trip to China. Photo: Cook Islands Office of the Prime Minister

Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown' during his recent trip to China. Photo: Cook Islands Office of the Prime Minister

The Cook Islands government has released the text of the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership agreement that it has signed with Beijing.

NZ Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters said the government will now analyse the agreement with China.

Peters said he intended to engage with the Cook Islands government on this "in the days ahead".

He has also pointed to public statements by both the Cook Islands and Chinese governments that "a number of agreements" were signed during Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown's week-long state visit last week.

"We look forward to the release of all those agreements without delay, so that the Cook Islands people and New Zealand can get clarity on the substance and scope of the intended cooperation between China and the Cooks.

Consultation and transparency must lie at the heart of the New Zealand-Cook Islands relationship."

Earlier today, Te Pāti Māori co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer joined more than 400 people in Rarotonga to protest against Brown's government.

- more to come

The Cook Islands is a self-governing country in free association with New Zealand. It comprises 15 islands with a total land area of only 237square kilometres spread over two million square kilometres of ocean.

Island nation set to sign major agreement with Beijing | 1News Exclusive on TVNZ+

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