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Scoop
7 hours ago
- Business
- Scoop
Former New Zealand PM Helen Clark Blames Cook Islands For Creating A Crisis
Article – RNZ Helen Clark says the Cook Islands government entered into a strategic partnership with a major power nation – China – without consulting New Zealand. Lydia Lewis, RNZ Pacific Presenter/Producer Former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark believes the Cook Islands, a realm of New Zealand, caused a crisis for itself by not consulting Wellington before signing a deal with China. The New Zealand government has paused more than $18 million in development assistance to the Cook Islands after the latter failed to provide satisfactory answers to Aotearoa's questions about its partnership agreement with Beijing. The Cook Islands is in free association with New Zealand and governs its own affairs. But New Zealand provides assistance with foreign affairs (upon request), disaster relief, and defence. The 2001 Joint Centenary Declaration signed between the two nations requires them to consult each other on defence and security, which Winston Peters said had not been honoured. Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown both have a difference of opinion on the level of consultation required between the two nations on such matters. 'There is no way that the 2001 declaration envisaged that Cook Islands would enter into a strategic partnership with a great power behind New Zealand's back,' Clark told RNZ Pacific on Thursday. Clark was a signatory of the 2001 agreement with the Cook Islands as New Zealand prime minister at the time. 'It is the Cook Islands government's actions which have created this crisis,' she said. 'The urgent need now is for face-to-face dialogue at a high level to mend the NZ-CI relationship.' Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has downplayed the pause in funding to the Cook Islands during his second day of his trip to China. Brown told parliament on Thursday (Wednesday, Cook Islands time) that his government knew the funding cut was coming. He also suggested a double standard, pointing out that New Zealand has entered also deals with China that the Cook Islands was not 'privy to or being consulted on'. A Pacific law expert says that, while New Zealand has every right to withhold its aid to the Cook Islands, the way it is going about it will not endear it to Pacific nations. Auckland University of Technology (AUT) senior law lecturer and a former Pacific Islands Forum advisor Sione Tekiteki told RNZ Pacific that for Aotearoa to keep highlighting that it is 'a Pacific country and yet posture like the United States gives mixed messages'. 'Obviously, Pacific nations in true Pacific fashion will not say much, but they are indeed thinking it,' Tekiteki said. Since day dot there has been a misunderstanding on what the 2001 agreement legally required New Zealand and Cook Islands to consult on, and the word consultation has become somewhat of a sticking point. The latest statement from the Cook Islands government confirms it is still a discrepancy both sides want to hash out. 'There has been a breakdown and difference in the interpretation of the consultation requirements committed to by the two governments in the 2001 Joint Centenary Declaration,' the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Immigration (MFAI) said. 'An issue that the Cook Islands is determined to address as a matter of urgency'. Tekiteki said that, unlike a treaty, the 2001 declaration was not 'legally binding' per se but serves more to express the intentions, principles and commitments of the parties to work together in 'recognition of the close traditional, cultural and social ties that have existed between the two countries for many hundreds of years'. He said the declaration made it explicitly clear that Cook Islands had full conduct of its foreign affairs, capacity to enter treaties and international agreements in its own right and full competence of its defence and security. However, he added that there was a commitment of the parties to 'consult regularly'. This, for Clark, the New Zealand leader who signed the all-important agreement more than two decades ago, this is where Brown misstepped. Clark previously labelled the Cook Islands-China deal 'clandestine' which has 'damaged' its relationship with New Zealand. RNZ Pacific contacted the Cook Islands Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment but was advised by the MFAI secretary that they are not currently accommodating interviews.
Scoop
9 hours ago
- Business
- Scoop
Former New Zealand PM Helen Clark Blames Cook Islands For Creating A Crisis
Former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark believes the Cook Islands, a realm of New Zealand, caused a crisis for itself by not consulting Wellington before signing a deal with China. The New Zealand government has paused more than $18 million in development assistance to the Cook Islands after the latter failed to provide satisfactory answers to Aotearoa's questions about its partnership agreement with Beijing. The Cook Islands is in free association with New Zealand and governs its own affairs. But New Zealand provides assistance with foreign affairs (upon request), disaster relief, and defence. The 2001 Joint Centenary Declaration signed between the two nations requires them to consult each other on defence and security, which Winston Peters said had not been honoured. Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown both have a difference of opinion on the level of consultation required between the two nations on such matters. "There is no way that the 2001 declaration envisaged that Cook Islands would enter into a strategic partnership with a great power behind New Zealand's back," Clark told RNZ Pacific on Thursday. Clark was a signatory of the 2001 agreement with the Cook Islands as New Zealand prime minister at the time. "It is the Cook Islands government's actions which have created this crisis," she said. "The urgent need now is for face-to-face dialogue at a high level to mend the NZ-CI relationship." Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has downplayed the pause in funding to the Cook Islands during his second day of his trip to China. Brown told parliament on Thursday (Wednesday, Cook Islands time) that his government knew the funding cut was coming. He also suggested a double standard, pointing out that New Zealand has entered also deals with China that the Cook Islands was not "privy to or being consulted on". A Pacific law expert says that, while New Zealand has every right to withhold its aid to the Cook Islands, the way it is going about it will not endear it to Pacific nations. Auckland University of Technology (AUT) senior law lecturer and a former Pacific Islands Forum advisor Sione Tekiteki told RNZ Pacific that for Aotearoa to keep highlighting that it is "a Pacific country and yet posture like the United States gives mixed messages". "Obviously, Pacific nations in true Pacific fashion will not say much, but they are indeed thinking it," Tekiteki said. Since day dot there has been a misunderstanding on what the 2001 agreement legally required New Zealand and Cook Islands to consult on, and the word consultation has become somewhat of a sticking point. The latest statement from the Cook Islands government confirms it is still a discrepancy both sides want to hash out. "There has been a breakdown and difference in the interpretation of the consultation requirements committed to by the two governments in the 2001 Joint Centenary Declaration," the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Immigration (MFAI) said. "An issue that the Cook Islands is determined to address as a matter of urgency". Tekiteki said that, unlike a treaty, the 2001 declaration was not "legally binding" per se but serves more to express the intentions, principles and commitments of the parties to work together in "recognition of the close traditional, cultural and social ties that have existed between the two countries for many hundreds of years". He said the declaration made it explicitly clear that Cook Islands had full conduct of its foreign affairs, capacity to enter treaties and international agreements in its own right and full competence of its defence and security. However, he added that there was a commitment of the parties to "consult regularly". This, for Clark, the New Zealand leader who signed the all-important agreement more than two decades ago, this is where Brown misstepped. Clark previously labelled the Cook Islands-China deal "clandestine" which has "damaged" its relationship with New Zealand. RNZ Pacific contacted the Cook Islands Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment but was advised by the MFAI secretary that they are not currently accommodating interviews.
Scoop
9 hours ago
- Business
- Scoop
China Could Be Major Beneficiary Of New Zealand's Move On Cook Islands
, RNZ Pacific Senior Journalist The decision by Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters to suspend payment of aid to the Cook Islands could backfire on the New Zealand government, an academic says. Peters has withheld more than $18.2 million over the Cooks' failure to adequately inform his government about a partnership agreement signed with Beijing earlier this year. The foreign minister's office says the Cook Islands didn't consult with New Zealand to ensure shared interests weren't put at risk. Massey University associate professor in defence and security studies Anna Powles told Pacific Waves that the move could strengthen China's hand in the Pacific. Dr Powles spoke with RNZ Pacific. (This script has been edited for brevity and clarity.) Anna Powles: As a diplomatic strategy it is unclear what Wellington is trying to achieve by pausing funding to Cook Islands as a consequence of Cook Islands signing the deal with China this year. Don Wiseman: Yes, well, Winston Peters is using the aid as a bribe, really, isn't he? AP: Well, he is certainly seeking to leverage it, and that, given past tactics of effectively trying to punish partners over their decision-making, and sovereign decision-making, is arguably quite short sighted, actually, particularly in the current context where Pacific countries have options, they have alternatives. DW: Well, the thing with the Cook Islands, of course, is it doesn't have sovereignty, does it? It's still part of the realm of New Zealand. Brown, the Prime Minister of the Cook Islands, has indicated he would perhaps like that to change because of his requests, more than once, for the Cook Islands to have Cook Islands citizenship. Do you think maybe his cuddling up to China in this manner was all part of the same strategy? AP: Prime Minister Brown has certainly made it clear over the years that he sees, firstly, independence from New Zealand as critical under his leadership. But also the means for doing so, which clearly relates to deep sea mining and the economic benefits of deep sea mining as a vehicle for independence for Cook Islands. The independence conversation has been conflated with this. We know that under the previous New Zealand Labour government, with former foreign minister Nanaia Mahuta, there had been progress in supporting Cook Island aspirations towards independence. It's unfortunate that the geopolitics playing out in the region and Cook Islands independence aspirations have been conflated in this way. DW: So where do we go from here? Because Brown, effectively, has been summoned to Wellington for some sort of explanation, but we've sort of been down this road before, and clearly Peters wasn't satisfied with that. So it's all a bit messy, isn't it? AP: It is. It is pretty messy. And again, this is unfortunate that this could cast a distinct shadow over the upcoming Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting in September, but also, importantly, with respect to the relationship between New Zealand and Cook Islands. Aid should not be a bargaining chip. The relationship between the two countries surely should be deeper and robust enough to be able to work through these issues, but it fundamentally seems to come down to different perspectives on the spirit of the 2001 Joint Declaration between the two countries, which calls for that consultation by Cook Islands when it's entering into other foreign policy arrangements with other countries. So that spirit of that of the declaration, is really in question here, and the negotiation between the two countries, between New Zealand and Cook Islands, needs to take aid as a bargaining chip off the table for it to be able to continue, for it to be successful. DW: What impact do you think something like this would have at the talks that Christopher Luxon is having in China this very day? AP: The fact of the matter is that we can't separate the China equation from what's taken place. Obviously concerns held by New Zealand about the nature of some of those agreements between Cook Islands and China, and there are concerns that some of those agreements, some of those MOUs, potentially may cut across Cook Islands national security interests, and, by extension, New Zealand national security interests. So obviously, China is very much part of this equation. The degree to which this plays into Prime Minister Luxon's talks in China is unclear. But what it does do is it actually opens the door for increased Chinese engagement with the Cook Islands and with other countries in the Pacific, by being able to point to this type of behaviour of New Zealand, using aid as a development assistance as a bargaining chip, and by Beijing being able to tell its partners in the region, we would never do that, and certainly we would never seek to leverage our relationships in this way.
RNZ News
13 hours ago
- Business
- RNZ News
Former New Zealand PM Helen Clark blames Cook Islands for creating a crisis
Helen Clark, middle, says Cook Islands caused a crisis for itself by not consulting Wellington before signing a deal with China. Photo: RNZ Pacific Former New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark believes the Cook Islands, a realm of New Zealand, caused a crisis for itself by not consulting Wellington before signing a deal with China. The New Zealand government has paused more than $18 million in development assistance to the Cook Islands after the latter failed to provide satisfactory answers to Aotearoa's questions about its partnership agreement with Beijing. The Cook Islands is in free association with New Zealand and governs its own affairs. But New Zealand provides assistance with foreign affairs (upon request), disaster relief, and defence. The 2001 Joint Centenary Declaration signed between the two nations requires them to consult each other on defence and security, which Winston Peters said had not been honoured. Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown both have a difference of opinion on the level of consultation required between the two nations on such matters. "There is no way that the 2001 declaration envisaged that Cook Islands would enter into a strategic partnership with a great power behind New Zealand's back," Clark told RNZ Pacific on Thursday. Clark was a signatory of the 2001 agreement with the Cook Islands as New Zealand prime minister at the time. "It is the Cook Islands government's actions which have created this crisis," she said. "The urgent need now is for face-to-face dialogue at a high level to mend the NZ-CI relationship." Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has downplayed the pause in funding to the Cook Islands during his second day of his trip to China. Brown told parliament on Thursday (Wednesday, Cook Islands time) that his government knew the funding cut was coming. He also suggested a double standard , pointing out that New Zealand has entered also deals with China that the Cook Islands was not "privy to or being consulted on". Prime Minister Mark Brown and China's Ambassador to the Pacific Qian Bo last year. Photo: RNZ Pacific/ Lydia Lewis A Pacific law expert says that, while New Zealand has every right to withhold its aid to the Cook Islands, the way it is going about it will not endear it to Pacific nations. Auckland University of Tchnology (AUT) senior law lecturer and a former Pacific Islands Forum advisor Sione Tekiteki told RNZ Pacific that for Aotearoa to keep highlighting that it is "a Pacific country and yet posture like the United States gives mixed messages". "Obviously, Pacific nations in true Pacific fashion will not say much, but they are indeed thinking it," Tekiteki said. Since day dot there has been a misunderstanding on what the 2001 agreement legally required New Zealand and Cook Islands to consult on, and the word consultation has become somewhat of a sticking point. The latest statement from the Cook Islands government confirms it is still a discrepancy both sides want to hash out. "There has been a breakdown and difference in the interpretation of the consultation requirements committed to by the two governments in the 2001 Joint Centenary Declaration," the Ministry for Foreign Affiars and Immigration (MFAI) said. "An issue that the Cook Islands is determined to address as a matter of urgency". A Cook Island resident Jackie Tuara says she would rather be in agreements with countries that have democratic policies than with China Photo: Caleb Fotheringham Tekiteki said that, unlike a treaty, the 2001 declaration was not "legally binding" per se but serves more to express the intentions, principles and commitments of the parties to work together in "recognition of the close traditional, cultural and social ties that have existed between the two countries for many hundreds of years". He said the declaration made it explicitly clear that Cook Islands had full conduct of its foreign affairs, capacity to enter treaties and international agreements in its own right and full competence of its defence and security. However, he added that there was a commitment of the parties to "consult regularly". This, for Clark, the New Zealand leader who signed the all-important agreement more than two decades ago, this is where Brown misstepped. Clark previously labelled the Cook Islands-China deal as 'clandestine' which has "damaged" its relationship with New Zealand. RNZ Pacific contacted the Cook Islands Ministry of Foreign Affairs for comment but was advised by the MFAI secretary that they are not currently accommodating interviews.
The Mainichi
13 hours ago
- Business
- The Mainichi
New Zealand pauses Cook Islands funding over deepening China ties
SYDNEY (Kyodo) -- New Zealand has suspended millions of dollars in funding to the Cook Islands, the government said Thursday, as relations between the two countries deteriorate over the South Pacific island nation's deepening ties with China. A spokesman for Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement that New Zealand has paused NZ$18.2 million ($10.9 million) in development assistance funding for the 2025-2026 financial year, noting such support depends on a "high trust bilateral relationship." Ties between the Cook Islands and its largest funder have become strained, with New Zealand arguing that the South Pacific nation failed to adequately consult before signing multiple agreements with China in February, including a strategic partnership that spans areas such as deep-sea mining and infrastructure, but not security or defense. Beijing has been stepping up efforts to expand its influence in the Pacific in recent years, sparking concern in New Zealand and Australia. "The agreements signed by the Cook Islands and China and the lack of consultation with New Zealand about them, illustrate a gap in understanding between the Cook Islands and New Zealand governments about what our special relationship of free association requires," Peters said. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said Thursday that both New Zealand and the Cook Islands are Beijing's "important cooperation partners." He added that China's assistance to the Pacific island nation "does not target any third party and should not be disrupted or restrained by any third party." New Zealand and the Cook Islands agreed to consult regularly on defense and security issues under a joint declaration signed by the two countries in 2001. Under its free association relationship, the Cook Islands is obliged to engage with Wellington on agreements with other countries that might affect New Zealand. The agreement requires New Zealand to provide defense and foreign affairs assistance at the request of the Cook Islands government.
