Cook Islands and China sign partnership agreement amid transparency and security concerns

Maritime infrastructure and deep sea mining are some of the key points of interest

Originally published on Global Voices

The Cook Islands and China signed a partnership agreement on February 15, further strengthening China's position in the Pacific. The agreement emerged despite the concern of some stakeholders about the lack of transparency surrounding the negotiations.

The Cook Islands, a collection of 15 islands in the Pacific with a population of 15,000, is self-governing but in free association with New Zealand. Residents of the Cook Islands can live and work in New Zealand. In 2001, a Joint Centenary Declaration was signed, which affirmed the continuing support of New Zealand for the Cook Islands. It stipulated, among others, that New Zealand should be consulted regarding defense and foreign policy decisions involving the Cook Islands.

Though New Zealand raised some questions about a potential agreement with China, none of the questions were addressed before the announcement was made.

A visit to Beijing

Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown was in Beijing to witness the signing of the Action Plan for Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries. The document identified priority areas such as “trade and investment, tourism, ocean science, aquaculture, agriculture, infrastructure including transport, climate resilience, disaster preparedness, creative industries, technology and innovation, education and scholarships and people-to-people exchanges.”

Brown expressed gratitude to China:

It has been respectful of Cook Islands sovereignty and supportive of our sustained and concerted efforts to secure economic resilience for our people amidst our various vulnerabilities and the many global challenges of our time including climate change and access to development finance.

His statement also emphasized that the agreement will not undermine Cook Islands’ relationship with New Zealand:

Our relationship and engagement with China complements, not replaces, our longstanding relationships with New Zealand and our various other bilateral, regional and multilateral partners — in the same way that China, New Zealand and all other states cultivate relations with a wide range of partners.

Brown’s trip to China and the signing of the agreement became controversial due to the lack of details about these initiatives. A spokesperson for New Zealand’s foreign ministry claimed that their government was not consulted about it.

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.

This lack of consultation is a matter of significant concern to the New Zealand Government.

Brown denied this and delivered a national address to assure his constituents that his government would be transparent about the agreement.

I understand that uncertainty can create concern, and I acknowledge the need for open conversations about our future. I welcome that dialogue. I will continue engaging directly with our people to ensure that we are always moving forward together.

He also made an appeal to New Zealand:

Let us not be deterred by the disagreements of the moment, but rather use them as an opportunity to deepen our dialogue and strengthen the relationship between our nations.

Aside from negotiating an agreement with China, Brown has recently initiated proposals that were rejected by New Zealand, such as a plan to issue Cook Islands passports and for the Cook Islands to join the United Nations.

Foreign Minister Winston Peters posted on Facebook a statement about his country’s “unwavering” support for the Cook Islands.

At this uncertain and challenging time, it is more important than ever to underline New Zealand’s steadfast support for the Cook Islands people.

The people of the Cook Islands are New Zealand citizens and integral members of the New Zealand family.

He didn’t elaborate on what he meant by “uncertain” and “challenging time” but they could be referring to the intensified geopolitical rivalry in the Pacific amid China’s growing influence and economic clout. In recent years, China has doubled down on its Belt and Road Initiative investments in the Pacific and even signed an agreement with Solomon Islands.

Meanwhile, it's relations with New Zealand are becoming slightly tenser. According to DoubleThinkLab's China in the World Index, which tracks Chinese influence abroad, as China gained influence among smaller Pacific nations in the last few years, it lost some regard in New Zealand between 2022–2024.

During a press briefing on February 10, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said that the talks between the Cook Islands and China should not be disrupted.

The relationship between China and the Cook Islands does not target any third party, and should not be disrupted or restrained by any third party.

Some speculated he was alluding to New Zealand when he mentioned the role of the “third party.”

Three days later, he boasted that the agreement will be beneficial for both China and Cook Islands: “Our friendly cooperation is rooted in profound public support and delivers tangibly to the two peoples.”

Reactions in New Zealand

After signing the agreement, the opposition party in the Cook Islands demanded that the text and other details be made available to the public. A protest has been scheduled this week to air the people’s concerns about the agreement. Te Tuhi Kelly, leader of the Progressive Party of the Cook Islands, agreed with the opposition's demands.

The public deserves to know if there are any debt obligations, resource access clauses, or strategic commitments involved.

Other Pacific nations have learned the hard way that deals with major powers often come with hidden costs.

But he also called out the opposition for its failure to actively engage the government:

The other thing worth considering is that the opposition has very little influence because they have not and have never engaged as an opposition until now and only because of constituent pressure. The things is, if they were truly engaged, they would have been questioning the government long before public pressure forced them to speak up. Instead, it seems like they’re just playing catch-up.

This kind of passive opposition is part of the problem — it allows the government to push through major agreements with little resistance.

The Cook Islands may be composed of small islands but it has a large exclusive economic zone. Among the issues reportedly being discussed by China and Cook Islands is the prospect of maritime infrastructure and deep-sea mining for critical minerals. Alanna Smith of Te Ipukarea Society told 1News about their apprehension over this matter.

I know China are looking to be one of the first in the world to do commercial deep-sea mining… it would be scary if that relationship did happen because… I don't feel confident in China having put the environment first in industries like this.

Brown was able to secure an agreement with China but his constituents seem to agree that he has a lot of explaining to do when he gets home. His next steps will be persuading the New Zealand government and his people that the agreement will not have grave ramifications not just in the Cook Islands but also in the wider Pacific region.

Written by Mong Palatino