Deputy PM says New Zealand hasn’t been adequately consulted on an agreement the Cook Islands leader is expected to sign in Beijing this week
A diplomatic row has erupted between two tight-knit Pacific countries, after New Zealand said the Cook Islands failed to properly consult on its plans to deepen ties with China amid growing concerns over Beijing’s push for influence in the region.
The Cook Islands was a dependent New Zealand colony from 1901-1965 but has since operated as a self-governing nation in “free association” with New Zealand. Its roughly 17,000 citizens hold New Zealand citizenship. There are obligations between the two nations to regularly consult on matters of defence and security.
About Author
More Stories
Macron the ‘Trump whisperer’ works his magic but US and Europe remain an ocean apart
More than 200,000 Canadians sign petition to revoke Musk’s citizenship
‘You dream about such things’: Brit who discovered missing pharaoh’s tomb may have unearthed another