New Zealand and the Cook Islands signed a defence and security agreement on Thursday, easing more than a year of strained relations between the Pacific partners over the Cook Islands’ growing engagement with China.
The prolonged diplomatic standoff, which led Wellington to suspend millions of dollars in aid to Avarua, was notable despite the countries’ vastly different sizes—New Zealand has about 5 million people, while the Cook Islands has roughly 15,000. Observers across the Pacific closely followed the dispute as it highlighted the challenge small island nations face in balancing long-standing ties with Western partners, like New Zealand and Australia, against increasing outreach from Beijing.
Under the new declaration, the Cook Islands affirmed that New Zealand would remain its ‘partner of choice’ on defence and security issues, easing concerns in Wellington that China might assume that role. New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said the agreement clarified earlier uncertainties surrounding the two nations’ relationship.
Tensions had escalated after Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown signed a wide-ranging strategic partnership with China during a February 2025 visit to Beijing. The move alarmed New Zealand officials, particularly because Brown declined to share details of the deal in advance, raising potential security concerns.
The Cook Islands is self-governing, but maintains a 60-year free association with New Zealand. Under this arrangement, New Zealand is responsible for defence, and Cook Islanders can freely live and work in New Zealand. The relationship also requires consultation with Wellington on agreements that could affect its interests. Brown, however, argued that disclosing the China deal was not required under existing agreements.
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In response, New Zealand—Cook Islands’ largest donor—halted millions in aid, though the sum represented only a portion of its overall support. Following the new pact, Peters confirmed that the funding would resume during his visit to the Cook Islands, where he and Brown formally signed the declaration.
“This declaration seeks to remove previous ambiguity about the nature of the relationship between New Zealand and the Cook Islands, especially as it pertains to defence and security,” Peters said.
The Cook Islands, a chain of 15 islands in the South Pacific, is among several nations in the region attracting interest from China, which has expanded its presence through aid, loans and development agreements. The region’s strategic importance is underscored by vast exclusive economic zones, with the Cook Islands exploring opportunities such as deep-sea mineral extraction.
Peters noted that the current geopolitical landscape is more complex than at any time since the two nations established their free association in 1965. Concerns in New Zealand were heightened by the fact that Cook Islanders hold New Zealand passports. Brown had briefly proposed introducing a separate Cook Islands passport in October 2024, but later abandoned the idea after strong opposition from Wellington.
“It’s no secret that our two governments have had a series of serious disagreements since late 2024,” Peters said. Despite the renewed alignment, both leaders downplayed the impact of the new declaration on the Cook Islands’ earlier agreement with China. That partnership covers areas such as infrastructure, education and deep-sea mining, but does not include explicit defence provisions.
Brown emphasised that the agreement with New Zealand would not interfere with other international partnerships. However, he reiterated that New Zealand would remain the Cook Islands’ primary partner on all defence and security matters.
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