New Zealand stops funding for Cook Islands because of deals with China

New Zealand has stopped millions of dollars funding on the Cook Islands in widespread deals that its younger neighbor has made with China.

Wellington, the largest Cook island, said he was blinded by the deals that were achieved in February, covering infrastructure, tourism, technology and perhaps the most important, deep-sea mineral examination.

The new funding will not be considered until Cook Islands “do not take specific steps to correct relationships and restore trust,” said a spokesman for Foreign Minister in New Zealand Winston Peters.

Stopping the NZ $ 18.2 million funding ($ 11 million; £ 8 million) is coming as worries are increasing among US allies, including New Zealand and Australia, over the rise of China in the Pacific OceanS

“Financing relies on bilateral confidence relations,” Peters spokesman said on Thursday.

“New Zealand hopes that the steps will be taken quickly to cope with New Zealand’s concerns so that this support can be resumed as soon as possible,” the spokesman added.

The Cook Islands replied, saying it was “decided to cope (the question)) observing”, adding that over the years he “valued” prices for the development of New Zealand over the years.

“Constructive dialogue continues and Cook islands remain committed to engaging in New Zealand to find out where their concerns are hiding and how they can be addressed,” his foreign ministry said.

New Zealand’s last move also comes when Prime Minister Christopher Lukson is on an official visit to China, where he will meet with Chinese President X Jinping on Friday.

Peters spokesman said he was not worried that Beijing could negatively look at this move, noting that Wellington’s “special relations” with Cook Islands.

Cook deals are part of China’s wider campaign to court a small but strategically Pacific countries. Beijing had signed a The security deal, which signed with the Solomon Islands in 2022. which worry Western nations.

Cook Prime Minister Mark Brown said in February that his deals with China were based on his country’s “long -term interests” and were trying to assure his neighbors Australia and New Zealand that they did not replace their “long -standing relations”.

China also said deals are not intended to antagonize anyone in the region

The deals caused Rarotong protests – the largest of Cook Islands – and a vote of confidence against Brown in parliament, which he eventually survived.

New Zealand has what is known as a connection to the Free Association with the Cook Islands, and helps the latter with defense and foreign affairs. In the last three years, Wellington has been providing $ 194 million funding to Cook Islands, according to government data.

Cook Islanders also own passports of New Zealand. About 15,000 hosteons live in their own nation, but 100,000 live in New Zealand and Australia.

Culturally, the Cook Maori islands, which make up the bigger part of the population, are also closely related to, but different from New Zealand, Maori.

These close relationships explain why the first nature of chefs deals with China has led to such strong reactions.

Even before that, however, the Cook Islands had already shown signs of desire to retreat. At the end of last year she gave up the proposal to introduce her own passport After a public protestS