New Zealand has cut millions of dollars in funding to the Cook Islands because of the island group’s deepening ties with China.
A spokesperson for New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement on June 18 that New Zealand had decided earlier this month to suspend payment of 18.2 million New Zealand dollars (about $10.9 million) in development funding for 2025–26 as this “relies on a high trust bilateral relationship.”
The people of the Cook Islands, a self-governing country, are historically and culturally aligned with New Zealand and possess New Zealand passports.
But the New Zealand government raised concerns in February, after Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown traveled to China and signed a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which covers economic, infrastructure, and maritime cooperation, as well as seabed mining, with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)….
New Zealand Cuts Millions in Funding to Cook Islands Over China Ties
