The Cook Islands says it has signed a deal to expand relations with China, stressing that the accord does not impinge on ties with former colonial power New Zealand.
Prime Minister Mark Brown said he signed an “action plan for the comprehensive strategic partnership” with Chinese Premier Li Qiang in the northern city of Harbin during a five-day state visit to China.
He promised to publish the accord, after New Zealand expressed concern about a lack of transparency over the trip and complained it had not been properly consulted.
The self-governing Cook Islands, a country of 17,000 people, has a “free association” relationship with New Zealand, which provides budgetary assistance as well as helping on foreign affairs and defence.
In a statement released Saturday, the last of day of his China visit, Brown said the accord set a framework for engagement in areas including trade, investment, ocean science, infrastructure and transport.
“This provides opportunities for our government, our private sector and our people to benefit from enhanced partnership opportunities with China in areas aligned with our national interests and long-term development goals,” he said.
Cook Islands officials say they also discussed seabed minerals research with Chinese institutes during the visit, as the Pacific island mulls deep-sea mining of nodules rich in metals such as nickel and cobalt.
New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters’ spokesperson has complained of a lack of transparency and consultation over the trip, describing it as “a matter of significant concern”.
The foreign minister is reserving comment until details of the agreement are released, the spokesperson said.
China is vying for diplomatic, economic and military influence in the strategically important Pacific, challenging the historic regional sway of the United States, New Zealand and Australia.
But Brown said his country’s relations with New Zealand and other partners were not affected by the new accord.
“The Cook Islands will continue to make strategic decisions in the best long-term interests of our people,” the prime minister said.
“Our relationship and engagement with China complements, not replaces, our longstanding relationships with New Zealand and our various other bilateral, regional and multilateral partners.”
The agreement would be released online “in the coming days”, Brown said.
China’s state news agency Xinhua earlier quoted Li as saying the agreement would “deepen political mutual trust and expand practical cooperation with the Cook Islands”.
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