Agreement comes after Wellington halted millions in aid to its former colony after Cook Islands formed strategic partnership with Beijing
New Zealand and the Cook Islands have signed a defence and security declaration, ending a year-long diplomatic row that erupted after the Cook Islands struck strategic agreements with China.
The Cook Islands was a dependent New Zealand colony from 1901-65 but has since operated as a self-governing nation in “free association” with New Zealand. Its roughly 17,000 citizens hold New Zealand citizenship. There are obligations between the two nations to regularly consult on matters of defence and security.
In February 2025, New Zealand expressed “significant concern” about a lack of transparency over the Cook Islands’ decision to sign a strategic partnership deal with China covering deep-sea mining, regional cooperation and economic issues.
It marked the first time the Cook Islands had struck a major deal with a country outside its traditional partners – New Zealand and Australia – causing concern within those countries over China’s push for influence in the Pacific.
