Cook Islands aid row spotlights China's Pacific outreach, New Zealand's mounting unease
What began as a quiet series of infrastructure deals between the Cook Islands and China has erupted into a diplomatic stand-off, with
New Zealand halting millions in aid and Pacific leaders accusing Wellington of 'patronising' behaviour.
New Zealand's abrupt suspension of aid has cast a harsh spotlight on the country's growing unease over China's expanding Pacific footprint, drawing warnings from regional observers that the move risks appearing 'coercive rather than constructive'.
Wellington announced on June 19 that it was
freezing millions of dollars in funding to the Cook Islands, citing a lack of transparency surrounding a suite of deals struck between the archipelago and China.
'We've suspended some of the aid money until we can get clarity on those issues,' Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said from Shanghai during his first official visit to China.
Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown hit back the next day by accusing Wellington of being 'patronising', contending that the relationship should be 'defined by partnership, not paternalism'.
New Zealand's Prime Minister Christopher Luxon arrives for a social dinner at a palace in The Hague on Tuesday during a Nato summit hosted by The Netherlands. Photo: AFP
In parliament, Brown defended his government's engagement with Beijing, insisting that these ties did not 'compromise' the islands' independence and stressing that no military or defence arrangements had been made.
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