Another Pacific island is set to fall under Chinese influence

Yahoo

09-02-2025

The leader of the tiny South Pacific nation of the Cook Islands has flown to China to seal a controversial security deal, in defiance of warnings from its partner New Zealand.
Mark Brown, the Cook Islands prime minister, is leading a delegation to Beijing, where he is expected to sign a document on a 'comprehensive strategic partnership'.
New Zealand has warned this could have 'significant security implications' for the South Pacific, where Western influence is waning in the face of a resurgent China.
New Zealand has repeatedly asked the Cook Islands, with which it shares King Charles as monarch under a single realm, to reveal the contents of this 'joint action plan for comprehensive strategic partnership', but to no avail.
Ahead of Mr Brown's five-day visit, New Zealand issued a rebuke to the Cook Islands, which has a 'free association pact' with New Zealand. Wellington provides help on foreign affairs and defence when requested, and the Cook Islands' 15,000 people have New Zealand citizenship.
While the Cook Islands controls its own foreign and domestic affairs, it is meant to consult on foreign policy with Wellington with a view to formulating common policies.
On Friday, Winston Peters, New Zealand's foreign minister, called the Cook Islands' leader and repeated 'a months-old' request that his government share the contents of the China partnership, according to a statement from Mr Peters' office.
New Zealand media reported on Sunday that Mr Brown had left for China without any further consultation.
'We therefore view the Cook Islands as having failed to properly consult New Zealand with respect to any agreements it plans to sign this coming week in China,' a spokesman for Mr Peters said.
'This lack of consultation is a matter of significant concern to the New Zealand government.'
Mr Brown said last week that his visit to China was part of a broader strategy to deepen ties with its key partners. The trip will cover issues including trade, climate, tourism and infrastructure.
'This visit is about expanding economic opportunities while ensuring our sovereignty and national interests remain at the forefront,' Mr Brown said, without elaborating on the comprehensive strategic partnership.
Wen-Ti Sung, a fellow with the Atlantic Council's Global China Hub, said the partnership could mean 'a further deepening of economic and trading relations' between the Cook Islands and China.
It 'may potentially have future implications for more comprehensive, non-traditional security, law enforcement and other areas of technical cooperation, which may, over time, add up to a more conducive political atmosphere for a greater Chinese political and strategic presence in the Cook Islands and surrounding neighbourhood,' said Mr Sung, who is based in Taiwan.
He added that the partnership could have greater significance given Donald Trump's 'America First' policy – the US's withdrawal from international institutions and its expected drawdown on the world stage.
'This is a sign of China pursuing a full court press against the US and US partners and friendly countries all around the world, as China seeks to take advantage of the geopolitical uncertainty and opening unleashed by the Trumpian transition in US grand strategy.'
China is also expected to fill the void if Mr Trump's sweeping pause on foreign aid is made permanent, a move that critics have said could lead to a decline in US overseas influence.
In recent years, Beijing's charm offensive in the region has seen it sign a security agreement with the Solomon Islands and deepen ties with Kiribati, which severed ties with Taiwan and switched diplomatic recognition to China in 2019.
New Zealand has said it will review aid given to Kiribati, which has been a longstanding ally, following alleged snubs by Taneti Maamau, its president. Mr Maamau reportedly rejected meetings with Mr Peters three times.