A declaration has been formally signed in Rarotonga today, by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters and Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown. Photo / Azaria HowellPeters has been on Brown’s home turf for relationship-mending discussions, as memories of the Cook Islands’ deal with China loom in the shadows and scars start to heal. Foreign Minister Winston Peters is met by Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown. The relationship between New Zealand and the Cook Islands suffered significantly after the country, which is in free association with New Zealand, signed a deal with China without significant consultation. Further details on the formal agreements between China and the Cook Islands were released by the Office of the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands on February 21, 2025.

Source: New Zealand Herald April 02, 2026 07:37 UTC