How the Cook Islands’ Proximity to China Stunned New Zealand
By Mridul Jha
Since 1997, China has funded various public infrastructure projects on the Cook Islands, which include the Court House, the Ministry of Education, Apii Nikao primary school, and the Rarotonga ring main water system, in addition to providing agricultural marine equipment and complementary technical expertise. China is behind only New Zealand in providing the Cook Islands with foreign assistance. While New Zealand has provided USD 219 million in foreign aid between 2008 and 2022, China provided USD 112 million. The United States is far behind both, contributing just USD 95,000 during this fourteen-year period
However, in February 2025, the Cook Islands and China signed an agreement which not only stunned New Zealand but also changed the region’s political landscape. The Action Plan 2025–2030 for the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership is a ten-year agreement covering numerous areas including trade and investment, tourism, ocean science, technology and innovation, and deep-sea mining.
The Cook Islands, which is a group of 15 small islands, have been under a free association agreement with New Zealand since 1965, allowing Cook Islanders to hold New Zealand passports, to live and work on their neighboring island nation, and to access their healthcare system. Islanders who have held residence for a year even have the right to vote in elections and referendums.
The Cook Islands’ Prime Minister Mark Brown described the agreements as in line with the long-term interests of Cook Islanders, but New Zealand accused the country of failing to fulfill commitments to transparency and consultation during the signing process—a criticism rebuffed by the Cook Islands, given the agreement does not explicitly involve any measures related to defense and security.
Background
While the Cook Islands is free to establish diplomatic relations with other countries and maintain an independent foreign policy, the Cook Islands can delegate certain foreign affairs responsibilities to New Zealand in accordance with the Joint Centenary Declaration of 2001. Both countries have to consult one other on issues involving foreign policy, defense, and security. New Zealand has long expressed its concerns about China's increasing presence in the Pacific region, considering it a threat to regional stability as well as to its own security. New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Foreign Minister Winston Peters have cautioned the Cook Islands, along with other Pacific Island Countries, that any bilateral agreements with China could give Beijing a significant window to expand its presence in the Pacific region which ultimately threatens the influence of key partners like Australia and New Zealand
Though the agreement signed between China and the Cook Islands focuses on topics that are not directly affiliated with security, New Zealand believes that any agreement involving China will have security implications. To this point, the Cook Islands and China are expected to cooperate in the area of hydrography and geospatial research, which has direct military applications that raise concerns for New Zealand. Hydrography involves detailed mapping of underwater terrain, which includes seabed topography, tides, and current which is not only important for safe navigation, but also for naval operations. It helps military vessels to navigate secretly, avoid detection and if needed execute movements. Geospatial research involves satellite imagery and terrain mapping, which enhances maritime surveillance and reconnaissance, allowing forces to monitor ship movements and maintain situational awareness over vast areas. Combining these two technologies provides advanced surveillance tools, which allows for the continuous monitoring of maritime movements. New Zealand fears that the cooperation between China and Cook Islands could help the former expand its footprint in the region.
After much uproar, the Cook Islands released the aforementioned Action Plan, detailing its partnership with China and describing increased funding for infrastructure projects and educational scholarships. Both educational scholarships and infrastructure projects serve China's interests in the region. While educational scholarships help China foster goodwill and strengthen cultural ties with the local Cook Islanders, infrastructure projects—such as transportation networks and port facilities—not only support the Cook Islands' economic growth but could also benefit China in the event of any military operations. Through these initiatives, China is embedding itself politically and socially within the islands in ways that could indirectly affect New Zealand’s interests and influence in the Pacific. The agreement stated that China intended to support the Cook Islands in its membership bids for various multilateral organizations, which New Zealand refused to do.
The West and its allies have been wary of China’s growing influence in the Pacific region ever since it signed a security agreement with the Solomon Islands in 2022. The agreement allows China to train the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force, which is the closest the country has to an army. Right after the agreement was signed, the Solomon Islands renounced its diplomatic ties with Taiwan and espoused the One China Policy. Kiribati, a Pacific Island Country, cut diplomatic ties with Taiwan, prompting New Zealand to review its development aid—covering both existing and future projects—although existing projects remained unchanged. New Zealand firmly believes that China’s growing ties with Pacific Island Countries are an attempt to dominate decision making in these countries when it comes to support on Taiwan.
The seeds of distrust between New Zealand and the Cook Islands were sown in December 2024. The Cook Islands, despite being in a free association agreement with New Zealand, made a proposal to introduce a separate passport for Cook Islanders while maintaining access to the New Zealand passport. In fact, Brown even said that the new passport would be symbolic. The proposed passport was meant to serve as a powerful statement of the Cook Islands’ unique identity, culture, and status, acknowledging Cook Islanders as distinct people with their own aspirations, which are otherwise underpinned by their self-governing status with New Zealand. Although it would not replace the rights tied to New Zealand citizenship, it would have served as a representation of their separate nationhood and culture. This proposal reflected the broader desires within the Cook Islands to foster a stronger sense of identity and pride on the world stage which received strong and hostile reactions from New Zealand.
New Zealand firmly rejected the proposal, stating that a new passport would only be possible if the Cook Islands became fully independent in a single complete process rather than in multiple phases. This would also mean that Cook Islanders would lose access to New Zealand’s healthcare system and the right to live and work in New Zealand without a visa. After multiple rounds of negotiations, the Cook Islands decided to drop the proposal while mentioning that any decision that affects their relationship with New Zealand would not be implemented. After the proposal was dropped, it led to fallout between New Zealand and the Cook Islands. The Cook Islands felt sidelined by New Zealand's rejection and sought alternative partnerships to assert their sovereignty and ambitions on the international stage. This culminated in Brown’s visit to China in 2025, where the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership was signed. New Zealand was left stunned by the agreement, which had implications for national security and regional stability. In response, it suspended NZD 18.2 million in aid to the Cook Islands. Though the proposals were dropped, distrust between the two countries started to grow, reaching a boiling point after the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership was signed.
China and Deep-Sea Mining
While there are numerous areas where China and the Cook Islands are expected to cooperate, deep-sea mining is one of the most crucial aspects of their agreement. In late February, China and the Cook Islands’ Seabed Minerals Authority signed a 5-year Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Natural Resources of China. Deep-sea mining is an area that has the capability to change the economic conditions of Cook Islanders. The Cook Islands Mineral Authority estimates there are 12 billion wet tonnes of polymetallic nodules in their waters. Polymetallic nodules are mineral rich deposits primarily found in the deep sea basins. These deposits contain metals like manganese, nickel, copper and cobalt. Harvesting these nodules could help with energy transition. However, since the impact of deep-sea mining is still debated, some argue the project should be paused until there is ample evidence of its environmental impact. New Zealand has taken a calculated stand on the deep-sea mining issue, empathizing with the need for strong and scientific based protections before allowing for the commercial operations. In 2022, the New Zealand government backed a conditional moratorium on mining in the international waters to prevent harm for the marine ecosystem. It has also called on the Pacific nations to work together in order to protect the shared oceans and ensure resources are managed sustainably. With China's involvement in deep-sea mining, New Zealand fears that it might disrupt not only the regional stability but also would be detrimental to the marine ecosystem. Nevertheless, starting in 2022 the Cook Islands gave three licenses to companies to start deep-sea mining. Under the new agreement, China would have liberty to engage with the companies to start deep-sea mining on its own.
The Future Ahead
New Zealand recently halted USD 11 million worth of funding amid the controversy over the agreement. Despite the West’s continuous push, China has been able to influence the smaller Pacific Island Countries, which not only poses a threat to regional Pacific security but also would have the ability to influence the decision-making process in these nations. With China increasing influence in the region, it's no surprise that the effect of it would be felt in its own backyard. Many Pacific Island Countries like Kiribati and Tuvalu have cut ties with Taiwan. The West must maintain confidence with these countries, otherwise China's rise in the region will make it extremely difficult to catch up.
Mridul Jha is a Consultant with a Fortune 500 IT company based out of Bengaluru, India. With a deep interest in geopolitics, he has written multiple articles focusing on the Maritime Issues which have been published at the Journal of International Relations at SIPA, Columbia University, The Kootneeti, and NIICE Nepal.
In addition, he is also the published author of Are You a Tennis Nerd - The Ultimate Tennis Quiz Book on Amazon and a CAPM Certification Holder from Project Management Institute (PMI), USA.
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