The Prime Minister of the Cook Islands, Mark Brown, recently visited China for the first time in a decade. On February 15, the Cook Islands government confirmed that it had signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement with China. However, the details of the agreement have not been disclosed, and New Zealand was not notified in advance as previously agreed.
The Cook Islands is an independent nation that maintains a free association relationship with New Zealand. Its 17,000 citizens hold New Zealand passports, while New Zealand provides financial support and assists with foreign affairs and defense. According to their constitutional arrangement, matters of national defense and security should be discussed jointly. This move is expected to raise concerns in New Zealand, given the constitutional ties between the two nations.
Cook Islands officials revealed that discussions with China included deep-sea mining and exploration of metal resources that can be used in electric vehicle batteries. The office of Prime Minister issued a statement confirming that Brown signed the agreement in Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, with Chinese Premier Li Qiang. The agreement establishes a cooperation framework in key areas such as trade, investment, tourism, marine science, aquaculture, agriculture, infrastructure, climate resilience, and disaster prevention. The statement emphasized that the partnership “complements, rather than replaces, the longstanding relationship with New Zealand.”
Source: Radio Free Asia, February 15, 2024
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/zhengzhi/waijiao/2025/02/15/cook-islands-china-new-zealand/