New Zealand, Cook Islands seal defense pact, easing China-linked tensions

Wellington — New Zealand and the Cook Islands on Thursday signed a defense and security agreement aimed at easing diplomatic tensions sparked by the island nation’s growing ties with China.

Under the pact, the Cook Islands affirmed that New Zealand would remain its “partner of choice” on defense and security matters, clarifying the nature of their long-standing relationship and addressing concerns in Wellington over potential strategic influence from Beijing.

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said the agreement removed “ambiguity” surrounding bilateral ties, following a dispute that led Wellington to freeze millions of dollars in aid to the Cook Islands.

The tensions were triggered in 2025 when Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown signed a comprehensive strategic partnership with China during a visit to Beijing without fully disclosing its contents to New Zealand, raising concerns over possible security implications.

The Cook Islands is a self-governing state in free association with New Zealand, which provides defense support and grants its citizens the right to live and work in New Zealand. The arrangement also requires consultation on agreements with third countries that may affect shared interests.

Peters confirmed that the previously suspended aid would now resume following the new declaration, which reinforces New Zealand’s role in defense matters while preserving the Cook Islands’ ability to maintain other international partnerships.

The episode has drawn attention across the Pacific, where small island nations are increasingly navigating competing interests between traditional Western partners, including Australia, and expanding Chinese engagement through aid, infrastructure projects and economic cooperation.

Analysts say the region has become a focal point of strategic competition, with countries such as the Cook Islands an archipelago of 15 islands with vast exclusive economic zones holding significance due to potential resources, including deep-sea minerals.

While both sides declined to detail how the new pact affects the Cook Islands’ earlier agreement with China, Brown said Wellington would be the first point of contact on defense and security issues, signaling a recalibration rather than a rupture in its foreign policy approach.