The Prime Minister of the Cook Mark Brown Beijing is visiting this week to sign a strategic partnership agreement with the second largest economy in the world in the latest sign of the expansion of the Chinese influence in the Pacific Islands region.

However, the proposed agreement was shaken by decades between the Cook Islands and New Zealand, the neighbors who are to celebrate the free assembly in the year 2025. This agreement has long gave New Zealand’s influence over the Cook Islands, especially during a distance away from a distance from a distance from After a dimension. Foreign policy.

As tensions are escalating, we dismantle what is going on around the proposed deal between China and Cook Islands, and why New Zealand disturbs and what this means in the region.

What is the deal between the Cook Islands and China?

Brown is scheduled to sign a joint action plan for a comprehensive strategic partnership with China during his trip from February 10 to 14.

Without clarifying the plan, he said that the partnership will expand economic opportunities “while ensuring that our nationality and national interests remain in the foreground.” He added that the details “will be agreed” during his journey, which represents the first visit by the Cook Island leader to China a decade ago.

The deal is expected to revolve around trade, climate, tourism and infrastructure.

Brown stressed that the deal does not involve security or defense issues.

But the United States and its allies in the region, including Australia and New Zealand, have been cautious about China’s increasing influence in the Pacific Ocean since Beijing signed a security agreement with the Suleiman Islands in 2022. This agreement allows the presence of the Chinese police on the islands, on the surface to train the Suleiman Islands Police Force Ownership, closest to the country for an army.

Does China already have a presence in the Cook Islands?

China was a major economic partner for the Cook Islands. According to the Lowy Institute Tank database, the Cook Islands ruled $ 517M External aid between 2008 and 2022.

New Zealand, which includes 219 million dollars, is the largest shareholder, but China, which is worth $ 112 million, is the second largest exporter for the nation’s foreign assistance – more than twice the share of Australia. Meanwhile, the United States has contributed only $ 95,000 in the Cook Islands for 14 years.

In the past, China and New Zealand have made a partnership to help the Cook Islands jointly develop a major water supply project through a triple agreement – the first deal concluded by Beijing.

Chinese financial assistance – along with the help of Australia and New Zealand – helped the Cook Islands host the leadership of the Pacific Islands Forum in 2023, according to The Pacific Nation ministry Foreign affairs and immigration.

Last September, China and Suleiman Islands have agreed to explore other projects – including developing a multi -use transport center in the Northern Cook Islands.

Are the Cook Islands really independent of New Zealand?

The Cook Islands, a group of 15 islands and Jarun in the South Pacific, became a British reserve in 1888. New Zealand included the region in 1901 despite the local opposition and remained in control until 1965 the “Free Assembly” agreement with Lamington.

This arrangement allows Cook Islands to manage its local and international affairs while relying on New Zealand for financial assistance and defense. Cook Islands are automatically holding New Zealand Passports. In addition, approximately 100,000 people showcase the Cook Maori Islands in New Zealand.

Although the Cook Islands are technically free to participate in their international agreements, the “Free Assembly” agreement with New Zealand includes provisions for regular consultation on foreign policy, especially in security and strategic issues.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in New Zealand, the Walleton is a constitutional binding to respond to requests for help in foreign affairs, disasters and defense.

A New Zealand Foreign Ministry spokesman said that it expects the Cook Islands government to consult the entire Wellington on any important agreements planned to enter, which “could have great strategic and security effects.”

Did the tensions between New Zealand and Cook suddenly explode?

No, they were accumulating.

It has a population of 15,000, the Cook Islands submitted a proposal in December 2024 to create its passport system, although Brown said it would be more than that to identify its citizens as the Cook Islands and “not to use it as a travel document or anything like that “.

However, New Zealand strongly opposed this step, warning that it may lead to complete independence and the loss of the New Zealand automatic citizenship of the residents of the Cook Islands. The suggestion was finally pulled due to general and government pressure.

“Ready to punish the residents of Cook Islands” for a passport proposal: “New Zealand has charged her teeth.”

“The passport should be outside. We will look at other ways to be able to identify our nationality as the island of Cook.”

How was New Zealand’s reaction to the China deal?

New Zealand has expressed concerns about the lack of transparency it says that it surrounded the consent of the Cook Islands with China, on the pretext that such major international deals should be discussed in advance.

After Braun announced his journey, Winston Peters, the Deputy Prime Minister in New Zealand, told the Newstalk ZB radio station:[This] He blinded both the Cook Islands and ourselves. “

Although Brown insists that the agreement is purely economic, New Zealand considers it an insult to the diplomatic arrangement of the two countries.

“Newstalk Zb,” said Peters, who is also a New Zealand Foreign Minister, “said.

Is New Zealand closed in any other tensions in the region?

yes it is.

Last month, New Zealand officials said they were reviewing all development aid to Kiribati after the sudden cancellation of a planned meeting between New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters and President Kiribati Tanity Mamao.

New Zealand has contributed $ 58 million as development assistance for Kiribati between 2021 and 2024, according to official figures.

A statement from Peters’ office said: “The lack of contact at the political level makes it difficult for us to agree to the common priorities of our development program, and to ensure that it is a good target and provides good value for money.” She added that New Zealand will review all development cooperation with Kiribati as a result.

Peters said he was informed that Mamao could not accommodate him just one week before the planned meeting.

Ruth Kroos Kwansing, a member of Parliament from Kiribati, denied that her country tries to avoid New Zealand. In a Facebook post, I insisted that canceling the meeting was due to the changes in the protocol.

“Although New Zealand has all the right to review its aid program to Kiribati or any developing country, it is very important that these types of decisions are based on real development processes and are not used as a tool for political pressure.”

Tensions have risen since Kiribati has signed a series of bilateral deals with China in 2019. Kiribati also cut relations with the Western -supporting Taiwan in the same year in which a growing number of Pacific Island countries were drifted towards Beijing.

Why the Cook Islands and other Pacific Islands is of strategic importance?

The Cook Islands, along with 13 other countries in the Pacific Ocean, with the exception of New Zealand and Australia, have a strategic value due to its geographical location. They host a population of less than 13 million people, but they cover 15 percent of the planet’s surface.

Vasive extensions from the Pacific Ocean, these islands are important for marine roads, military sites, and geopolitical influence.

During World War II, the region was a battlefield between Japan and the United States, where aircraft smugglers and marine bases play a major role in the Pacific theater.

China’s participation in the Pacific Ocean focused largely on aid, investment and infrastructure projects, including roads, schools and clinics. But this help grew greatly, and after witnessing some discounts during Covid-19, it rose again-in second place after Australia, surpassing New Zealand and the United States.

Amid criticism that it is besieging the smaller countries in debt traps through loans, China has also turned into more grants, according to Data From the Louis Institute.

What does this mean for the balance of power worldwide?

The proposed strategic deal in the China Islands in the Chinese Islands comes amid increasing competition to influence the region between China on the one hand, and the United States, Australia and New Zealand on the other hand.

The Solomon Island’s security agreement followed its decision to drop the recognition of Taiwan, and instead recognizes Beijing as the only legitimate government in China.

Likewise, Kiribati has also replaced diplomatic loyalty from Taiwan to China in 2019. Since then, China has funded many infrastructure projects in Kiribati, including road improvements and solar energy installations. In January 2020, Kiribati also joined the belt and road initiative in China.

Meanwhile, the United States tried to ascend – preparing embassies in Kiribati, Tongathe Cook islands and New During the past two years.