Former New Zealand PM Helen Clark blames Cook Islands for crisis

By 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...

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,...

Why New Zealand has paused funding to the Cook Islands over China deal

BACKGROUNDER: By Christina Persico, RNZ Pacific bulletin editor/presenter; Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific; and Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific senior journalist New Zealand has paused $18.2 million in development assistance funding to the Cook Islands...

PM Brown: Cook Islands not consulted on NZ-China deals amid funding pause

New Zealand PM Christopher Luxon witnessed the signing of $871 million of commercial agreements between NZ businesses and their Chinese partners. Picture: CHRISTOPHER LUXON Cook Islands was “not privy to or consulted on” any agreements New Zealand...

New Zealand halts Cook Islands funding over China deals

New Zealand has paused millions of dollars in funding to the Cook Islands over wide-ranging deals that its smaller Pacific neighbour had made with China. Wellington, the Cook Islands' biggest funder, said it was blindsided by the deals that were...

New Zealand halts funding to former colony the Cook Islands over China deals

New Zealand has halted funding to the Cook Islands over what it considers the small Pacific nation's deepening ties with China. While the Cook Islands is a self-governing country, New Zealand remains its largest funder, and has paused $16.9...

New Zealand Freezes Aid to Cook Islands Over China Pact, Demands Restoration of Trust

New Zealand has suspended millions of dollars in aid to the Cook Islands following revelations of sweeping agreements between the Pacific nation and China deals that Wellington says it was never consulted on. The NZ$18.2 million (US$11 million)...

Explainer: Why has New Zealand paused funding to the Cook Islands over China deal?

The diplomatic row between the Cook Islands and New Zealand has come to a head. Photo: RNZ Pacific New Zealand has paused $18.2 million in development assistance funding to the Cook Islands after its government signed partnership agreements with...

Parliamentary rules clash over Cook Islands National Awards Bill

Opposition leader Tina Browne. LOSIRENE LACANIVALU / 2561620 Te Tango Raumaire o Avaiki: Cook Islands National Awards Bill 2025 is currently in Parliament and due for a second reading with a Certificate of Urgency. If passed the Act will establish...

Hawaii Coast Guard crew wraps up enforcement mission in Cook Islands

1/2 Swipe or click to see more AUSTIN WILEY / U.S. COAST GUARD / JUNE 7 A 26-foot over-the-horizon small boat carrying Coast Guard crew, two Cook Islands Ministry of Marine Resources fisheries officers and a translator from the U.S. Marine Corps...

Tensions rise as New Zealand freezes millions of dollars in aid to Cook Islands over China deals

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Xi to Luxon: No China-New Zealand conflict, even as Cook Islands pivot raises eyebrows

BEIJING, June 20 — Chinese President Xi Jinping said today that Beijing had “no fundamental conflicts of interest” with New Zealand, as he welcomed Prime Minister Christopher Luxon on an official visit. Luxon’s trip comes at a time of tension with...

Cook Islands is Chair for Pacific Region’s GEF ISLANDS Project

Halatoa Fua. Photo: Supplied/20102821 The Cook Islands is the chair for the Pacific Region’s Project Steering Committee (PSC), which has the largest portion of the GEF ISLAND fund. GEF ISLANDS is the largest singular project by the Global...

Seabed minerals company inspires future local scientists

CIC Ocean Research staff onboard their research vessel. 25081301/25081539/25081540 The Open Day tour, held by CIC Ocean Research on Tuesday and Friday, introduced locals and visitors to the country’s developing ocean research capabilities and the...

Decades of climate uncertainty: Cook Islands grower speaks

After more than 30 years of farming on her Takuvaine plantation, Jean Tekura Mason says climate change has disrupted everything she understood about farming. “I’ve been a planter, gardener for over 30 years basically and what I’ve noticed over...

Coral research uncovers exciting new-to-science species hidden in plain sight

From: Queensland Museum An international team of scientists working with Queensland Museum’s CoralBank have made groundbreaking findings that rewrite the family tree of one of the world’s most iconic coral groups and described five new-to-science...

Rarotonga resident wins high-tech appliance and entertainment pack

Keren Aviu is the lucky winner of the Vodafone Cook Islands Te Maeva Nui Text-to-Support Campaign, taking home an incredible Samsung prize pack valued at thousands of dollars. Aviu is pictured with her sons, Vodafone Cook Islands CEO Phillip...

Cook Islands environment group calls on govt to speak out against U.S Trump’s deep seabed mining order

Cook Islands’ leading environmental lobby group is hoping that the Cook Islands government will speak out against the recent executive order from United States President Donald Trump aimed at fast-tracking seabed mining. Te Ipukarea Society (TIS)...

Cook Islands environment group calls on govt to speak out against…

Cook Islands’ leading environmental lobby group is hoping that the Cook Islands government will speak out against the recent executive order from United States President Donald Trump aimed at fast-tracking seabed mining. Te Ipukarea Society (TIS)...

RC Blog: Who’s willing to pay for sustainability in the Pacific?

Written by Simona Marinescu, Isabella Massa, Guillaume Lafortune After major setbacks to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the Pacific needs fairer access to financing as it fights to overcome climate challenges. Crises in climate, geopolitics...