New Zealand Cuts Funding To Cook Islands Over Deepening China Ties

New Zealand has suspended millions in development aid to the Cook Islands amid worsening diplomatic tensions linked to the Pacific nation’s growing relationship with China, Kyodo News reported.

The deals do not currently include military cooperation but have raised concerns in both New Zealand and Australia about Beijing’s increasing influence in the Pacific region. I Photo: Pacific Resort Hotel Group

A spokesperson for Foreign Minister Winston Peters said NZ$18.2 million (US$10.9 million) in development funding for the 2025–2026 fiscal year has been paused, noting that such support relies on a “high-trust bilateral relationship.”

Relations have soured following the Cook Islands’ decision to sign multiple agreements with China in February—including a strategic partnership focused on infrastructure and deep-sea mining—without prior consultation with New Zealand, its largest development partner.

While the deals do not currently include military cooperation, they have raised concerns in both New Zealand and Australia about Beijing’s increasing influence in the Pacific region, Mainichi Japan also reported.