On February 10, Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown will arrive in Beijing for a five-day state visit to China, during which he is expected to finalise a Joint Action Plan for Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Beijing. The visit will mark the first by a Cook Islands leader in a decade and comes amid growing geopolitical tensions in the Pacific.
Brown has framed the trip as an opportunity to “[expand] economic opportunities while ensuring our sovereignty and national interests remain at the forefront.” Discussions with Chinese officials are expected to cover trade, investment, climate initiatives, tourism, and infrastructure development.
New Zealand Expresses Concerns Over Transparency
The move has drawn criticism from New Zealand, which maintains a free association agreement with the Cook Islands. Under this arrangement, Cook Islanders hold New Zealand citizenship, and assists in areas such as defence and foreign affairs.
New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters has expressed frustration over the lack of consultation regarding the deal. “The Cook Islands is entitled to make these decisions themselves,” Peters said. “But we’ve got past arrangements, constitutional arrangements, which require consultation with us, and, dare I say, China knows that.”
A spokesperson for New Zealand’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) also emphasised that they expected to be fully informed about any agreements with significant security implications.
Geopolitical Implications and U.S. Concerns
Brown’s visit to Beijing comes as China continues to expand its influence in the Pacific, a region where the U.S., Australia, and New Zealand have traditionally held sway. Beijing’s growing presence has raised concerns in Washington, particularly as the Cook Islands deal unfolded during the beginning of Donald Trump’s presidency, when tensions between the U.S. and China were high.
International relations expert Stephen Hoadley warned that Trump’s administration could view the agreement as a shift towards China’s orbit, potentially straining relations with New Zealand. Trump will want his allies to take a hard line with China, Hoadley told Newstalk ZB. “New Zealand allowing one of its realm countries to slide into China’s influence could reflect badly on New Zealand.”
Public Backlash and Planned Protests
The agreement has also sparked controversy within the Cook Islands. A protest march is scheduled for February 17, with critics voicing concerns about the government’s growing engagement with Beijing. Environmental activists have raised alarms over potential agreements on deep-sea mining, warning of risks to the Cook Islands’ marine ecosystem.
Brown has maintained that the deal is in the nation’s best interests, emphasising the need for economic sustainability. “We must look at other ways to ensure that we have a sustainable economy and partnering with like-minded countries,” he said.