NZ Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Cook Islands PM Mark Brown. Photo: RNZ/Pacific Islands Forum/123RF
A snub by the Cook Islands prime minister will be watched by any nations keen to see how deep New Zealand's partnerships in the region really are, an expert on geopolitics in the Pacific says.
The Foreign Minister's office says Mark Brown headed to Beijing on Sunday without "properly consulting" New Zealand about agreements he plans to sign with China.
The Cook Islands operates in free association with New Zealand. It means the island nation conducts its own affairs, but Aotearoa needs to assist when it comes to foreign affairs, disasters, and defence.
New Zealand is asking for more consultation over what is in the China deal.
Foreign Minister Winston Peters said neither New Zealand nor the Cook Island people knew what was in the agreement.
"The reality is we've been not told(sic) what the nature of the arrangements that they seek in Beijing might be," he told Morning Report on Friday.
Massey University's Dr Anna Powles said the relationship was "incredibly important to New Zealand, and incredibly important to get right".
"It will be seen as a barometer in the region for how it engages with other Pacific Forum country members."
There had always been natural tensions between Aotearoa and the Cook Islands over free association independence, but Brown's tactics would be "raising deep concerns in Wellington", Powles said.
"This is obviously a significant agreement, it doesn't necessarily have the support of the Cook Islands people, and it speaks to some friction within the relationship between New Zealand the Cook Islands."
On Sunday, a spokesperson from the foreign minister's office said the lack of consultation in particular was "a matter of significant concern to the New Zealand government".
"We look forward to continuing discussions with the government of the Cooks Islands on this important matter in the coming days and weeks.
The spokesperson also said New Zealand deeply values its relationship with the government and people of the Cook Islands.
"Cook Islanders are treasured members of the New Zealand family. The deputy prime Minister will continue to defend and protect the interests of Cook Islanders, in the context of New Zealand protecting the security and prosperity of all New Zealand citizens and of the Realm of New Zealand."
'Huge outcry'
A senior Cook Islands journalist said people were concerned their prime minister was signing a major deal outside traditional partnerships.
Rashneel Kumar, news editor for the Cook Islands News, told Morning Report on Monday that Brown understood there was concern amongst the public.
"But according to him, he's putting people's, the country's best interests at heart when he's signing such deals. And he did explain that traditionally Cook Islands have always partnered and signed with the traditional partners - which is New Zealand and Australia - and China is the third development partner.
"And they see they see fit and it's time that they should forge a comprehensive strategic partnership with their third development partner, which is China; that they've had diplomatic relationship with China for the last eight years, and it's time that they look at the better opportunities and infrastructure and other other areas…
"I did raise the concern that New Zealand has always said that there has been a lot of consultation, and according to him, he has assured New Zealand that there will be no security aspects in the agreement, and anything he's doing will not affect the constitutional arrangement or relationship that Cook Islands has with with New Zealand."
Kumar said there had been a "huge outcry" on social media.
"I would say a majority would be New Zealand-based Cook Islanders, but there are also a fair share of Cook Islanders who are based here who are also concerned over the lack of consultation. I think they're more used to Cook Islands partnering with with New Zealand and Australia, but this is something new for them, and they demand the agreement - they want to see it, they want it to be consulted first before the prime minister signs it off with [his] Chinese counterpart next week.
"I think the opposition leaders - I talked to both of them… they both said that they are not happy that the Prime Minister is going ahead with this agreement without properly consulting the people and and they have lost their confidence in his leadership."
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