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New Zealand Pauses NZ$18.2 Million in Aid to Cook Islands Over China Partnership

Winston Peters says funding will not resume until the Cook Islands rebuilds the trust required by their free association

A fisherman casts his net into the lagoon on the main island of Rarotonga, in the Pacific Ocean state of the Cook Islands on June 13, 2025.
A view from the ocean of a small town, boats at dock and forest-covered hills.
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Overview

  • The pause affects core sector support funds earmarked for health, education and tourism in the 2025–26 financial year
  • February’s Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with China includes deep-sea mining, infrastructure projects and educational scholarships but excludes security cooperation
  • Wellington officials say the Cook Islands breached their free association agreement by signing major China deals without prior consultation
  • New Zealand has provided NZ$194.2 million in development aid to the Cook Islands over the past three years and will consider no new funding until concrete steps restore bilateral trust
  • Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s visit to Beijing for talks with President Xi Jinping coincides with Wellington’s move as concern grows over China’s expanding Pacific influence