New Zealand and Pacific Nation Sign Defense Deal, Ending Year-Long Impasse Over CCP Ties

NZ froze financial support after the Cook Islands unilaterally negotiated a security deal with Beijing, but recent negotiations have arrived at a detente.

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters attends a news conference during a Nordic Council meeting within the framework of the informal foreign and security policy cooperation, on Oct. 29, 2025 in Stockholm. Claudio Bresciani/TT News Agency/AFP via Getty Images

More than a year of strained relations between New Zealand and the Cook Islands appears to be at an end with the signing of a new defense and security declaration in Rarotonga.

The Pacific Island nation is part of the Realm of New Zealand, which means that it should consult the New Zealand government before making decisions regarding foreign relations with other countries.