New Zealand and the Cook Islands have signed a new security declaration, resolving a political dispute that led to Wellington freezing millions of dollars in financial assistance to the Pacific nation. The agreement is expected to limit China’s influence in the region, with New Zealand stating it will place “massive limitations” on agreements signed between China and the Cook Islands last year.
Declaration ‘limits’ pacts with China
The Cook Islands has maintained its agreements with China do not involve security matters, and Prime Minister Mark Brown said he does not anticipate the new declaration with New Zealand will affect its agreements with other countries.
However, New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters stated the Chinese pacts with the Cook Islands now have “massive limitations” placed around them, protecting the national security of both nations.
“It also is a message to the Chinese government, who we’re on good relations with, that there’s a special relationship here between Tokelau, Niue and the Cook Islands, and we’re part of it,” he said. “That’s the key part that they [China] did not acknowledge at the time.”
The relationship between New Zealand and the Cook Islands strained last year following the Cook Islands’ signing of agreements with China, including infrastructure investment. Wellington argued Prime Minister Brown had not fulfilled constitutional obligations to consult with the New Zealand government.
New Zealand has existing constitutional responsibility for the defense of the Cook Islands. The new pact affirms New Zealand as the Pacific nation’s security “partner of choice,” stating the Cook Islands will consult New Zealand first for any “requests for support” on security issues, including those related to “critical infrastructure” like ports and telecommunications.
The Cook Islands will also provide “early and comprehensive notification” to New Zealand regarding security issues. Wellington appears to have secured effective veto power over any agreements with “third parties” that could undermine the declaration.
Officials have been working on the pact for weeks, with a clear sign of an agreement coming last week when Prime Minister Brown made an “informal” visit to the home of Mr. Peters in New Zealand.
Mr. Peters said the security declaration would provide clarity on “key aspects of our special constitutional relationship” and help both sides reset ties.
“It’s no secret that our two governments have had a series of serious disagreements since late 2024,” he said. “As we debated how to get past these disagreements, it became clear that one of their root causes was the lack of a shared understanding about the requirements of our special constitutional relationship — especially as it pertained to defence and security matters and the extent of the consultation required between us.
“This declaration resolves this former ambiguity and provides clarity to both governments so that we can move forward focused on the future, not the past.”
Mr. Peters also confirmed the restoration of approximately $NZ30 million ($25 million) in financial support to the Cook Islands. “Now that we have come to a mutually satisfactory understanding of the underpinnings of our partnership, we are pleased to normalise all aspects of our relationship — including New Zealand’s financial support,” he said.
Mr. Brown said both countries are determined to “move forward” from the dispute with a new “spirit.”
“Good relationships, like good navigation, require periodic reckoning and an honest reading of where we are,” he said. “We signed this declaration as a new foundation built on clarity, on mutual acknowledgement and on the shared belief that two nations, different in size but equal in dignity, can build something genuinely worth investing in.”
Anna Powles from Massey University said the declaration “certainly clarifies any ambiguities that arose from the Joint Centenary Declaration 2001 and confirms both parties’ expectations around Cook Islands’ obligations across a broad range of defence and security matters.”
“It clearly positions NZ as Cook Islands’ primary defence and security partner and ensures consultation on issues which impact national security including but not limited to critical infrastructure,” she said. “It also includes important wording on Cook Islands’ evolving identity, which would have been key for Prime Minister Mark Brown.”
China has not yet issued a statement on the agreement. The ABC has requested comment from the Chinese embassy in Wellington.
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