New Zealand’s foreign minister Winston Peters expressed concerns on Friday after the Cook Islands’ leader signed a partnership with China without consulting his government.
Mr Peters called and repeated a months-old request for the Cook Islands to share information about its deal with China. However, Cook Islands Prime Minister Brown left for China on Sunday without further discussion, prompting Mr Peters’ office to say that the country had failed to properly consult New Zealand.
The Cook Islands’ partnership with China has significant implications for New Zealand’s relations in the region. Analyst Wen-Ti Sung described it as a sign of China pursuing a “full court press” against the US and its allies, taking advantage of the uncertainty created by Donald Trump’s withdrawal from international institutions.
This move could also fill a void left by the expected drawdown of US foreign aid, which critics fear could lead to a decline in US influence. The partnership is part of China’s charm offensive in the region, which has already seen Beijing sign security agreements with other countries like the Solomon Islands and Kiribati.
Source: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/02/09/another-pacific-island-is-set-to-fall-under-chinese-influen