In the South Pacific, a new geopolitical contest is unfolding as the Cook Islands’ recent comprehensive partnership agreement with China has strained its long-standing ties with New Zealand. Historically, the relationship between the Cook Islands and New Zealand has been anchored in colonial history, cultural links, tourism, and consistent financial support. However, the shift toward Beijing has triggered diplomatic friction, particularly after Wellington suspended financial aid worth 18.2 million New Zealand dollars destined for health, education, and tourism sectors in the island nation. n nThis move created a significant budgetary shortfall and intensified bilateral tensions. Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown responded by seeking alternative partners to meet infrastructure needs, while critics in New Zealand accused the government of using aid as a political lever. Despite a direct meeting between leaders during a regional forum, the rift over the China deal remains unresolved. n nNew Zealand’s Foreign Minister, Winston Peters, described the agreement as a “serious shift” made without consultation, stating that financial assistance would not resume until concrete steps are taken to rebuild trust. Brown countered by referencing New Zealand’s own 2014 free trade deal with China, signed without prior consultation with Rarotonga, which brought substantial economic benefits. However, he acknowledged the current strategic environment is markedly different, with growing regional concerns over Beijing’s military and economic ambitions in the Pacific. n nChina’s expanding footprint in the region has raised alarms. The security pact signed with the Solomon Islands in 2022 heightened fears of Beijing establishing a military foothold. Although both Beijing and Rarotonga insist the current agreement is purely economic, New Zealand warns of a pattern where economic cooperation often paves the way for security arrangements, potentially creating parallel regional structures that could disrupt the existing balance of power. n nThe Cook Islands-China deal goes beyond financial assistance, encompassing deep-sea mineral exploration—a strategic resource that could elevate the nation’s geopolitical standing. In response, the United States has also signed a separate agreement with Rarotonga on seabed mining, underscoring the islands’ role as a focal point in intensifying international competition. n nLocal experts, including analyst Rashnil Kumar, emphasize that small Pacific nations like the Cook Islands require external support for development and climate resilience but must remain vigilant against overdependence on any single foreign power. n nChinese-funded projects in Avarua, including a courthouse, police headquarters, and national stadium, illustrate the scale of Beijing’s economic presence. Yet, internally, there is growing awareness of the need to balance national interests with the pressures of great power rivalry. n nUltimately, the Cook Islands have become a strategic node in the contest between China and New Zealand, where economic aspirations intersect with security concerns. The nation’s future will hinge on its ability to navigate between major powers, safeguard sovereignty, and secure development without falling under undue external influence. n— news from إرم نيوزnn
— News Original —nChina breaches the Pacific.. A new diplomatic and economic dispute with New ZealandnIn the heart of the South Pacific, a new game of influence is unfolding, reflecting the strategic competition between regional and international powers; relations between the Cook Islands and New Zealand have long been solid, linked by colonial history, cultural and tourist ties, and steady financial support. nHowever, the Cook Islands’ signing of a broad partnership agreement with China has overturned the balance of this traditional relationship and sparked unprecedented tension between Wellington and its small neighbor in the South Pacific, according to The New York Times. nThe aid crisis and budget setbacks nNew Zealand halted millions of dollars in aid, creating a major financial gap in the Cook Islands’ budget, and bilateral relations came under immense pressure. nCook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown did not hesitate to announce his intention to seek other partners to meet his country’s infrastructure needs, while New Zealand citizens accused their government of using aid as a political bargaining chip. nRecent developments show that the direct meeting between New Zealand and Cook Islands leaders during the regional forum failed to ease the dispute over the latter’s agreement with China. nNew Zealand’s Foreign Minister, Winston Peters, considered the deal a “serious shift” signed without any consultation with Wellington, stressing that his country would not resume financial support until tangible steps were taken to correct the relationship and rebuild trust between the parties. nFor his part, Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown recalled New Zealand’s experience with China in 2014, when Wellington signed a broad partnership agreement without referring to Rarotonga, achieving substantial economic benefits. nHowever, he emphasized that the current geopolitical landscape is radically different, as regional concerns are rising over Beijing’s military and economic ambitions in the Pacific, making engagement on these issues more sensitive and complex. nChina and expanding influence in the Pacific nAgreements with China are no longer seen in Pacific Island nations as neutral investments, but are now interpreted within a broader strategy through which Beijing seeks to strengthen its regional presence. nAfter signing a partnership deal with the Cook Islands, China previously signed a security agreement with the Solomon Islands in 2022, fueling neighboring countries’ fears of Chinese attempts to establish a military foothold. nDespite Beijing’s and Rarotonga’s assurances that the current agreement is limited to economic aspects, New Zealand continues to warn that Beijing tends to blend economic cooperation with security arrangements, potentially leading to parallel regional structures that weaken the existing balance in the South Pacific. nNew Zealand’s decision to suspend funding worth 18.2 million New Zealand dollars, allocated for health, education, and tourism sectors in the Cook Islands, reflects an unusual move by Wellington compared to Australia’s approach, which has preferred to increase its aid in the region. nWhile diplomats from both sides work to implement the agreement with Beijing and address points of concern, there is a prevailing sense of caution within the islands toward a powerful economic partner that still raises questions about its true intentions in the South Pacific. nChina’s role in development and future investment nThe agreement signed by the Cook Islands with China goes beyond mere financing and aid, extending to cooperation in deep-sea mineral exploration—a strategic resource that could give the islands a leading position in the regional race for influence. nAt the same time, the United States quickly signed a separate agreement with Rarotonga on seabed mining, highlighting the Cook Islands’ status as a hotspot for escalating international competition in the South Pacific. nLocal experts, such as Rashnil Kumar, believe that the Cook Islands, like other small Pacific nations, need any support that ensures development and helps them face climate change challenges, provided they remain alert to the risks of dependence on foreign influence. nThe spread of Chinese projects in the capital Avarua, from the judiciary building and police headquarters to the national stadium, illustrates the extent of Beijing’s economic presence, but it is met internally with a growing sense of the need to balance national interests with the pressures of competition between major powers. nIn the end, the Cook Islands have become a geopolitical pivot between China and New Zealand, where economic ambition intersects with security concerns, and maintaining a balance between external partnerships and national sovereignty has become an existential challenge. nThe future of this small South Pacific nation will depend on its ability to maneuver between major powers, protect its interests from foreign influence, and secure the development its communities need.