Cook Islands leader defends China deal as NZ agreement tightens Pacific security ties

Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown is defending his government’s controversial agreement with China but says there are lessons to be learned about how it was communicated to the public.

Speaking to William Terite on Pacific Mornings, Brown was asked whether he would have handled the China agreement differently.

“In terms of our relationship with China and in terms of the agreement that we had, no,” Brown said.

“But I think in terms of how we would communicate to the public, certainly there's some lessons to be learned there.

“The one thing I'm really pleased about the declaration that we had with New Zealand, it clearly states the process for consultation and communication between our two countries with the underlying premise that we should have no surprises.”

New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Vaovasamanaia Winston Peters travelled to Rarotonga earlier this month to sign the Defence and Security Declaration, which reaffirms New Zealand as the Cook Islands’ main defence and security partner.

Winston Peters and Mark Brown speka to media following the signing of the agreement. Photo/PMN News/Ala Vailala

The agreement sets out that the Cook Islands will consult New Zealand in good faith on security matters and engage Wellington first before working with other partners.

In return, Aotearoa continues to support in areas such as policing, cyber security, maritime surveillance, and disaster response.

The deal also came alongside the restoration of multimillion-dollar funding from New Zealand.

Winston Peters arrived in Rarotonga in early April, his first visit in over two years. Photo/PMN News/Ala Vailala

“The China deal is behind us,” Peters told media in Rarotonga. “We're not going to go back there. We're going forward. Wiser, more committed to an even more difficult world than when this thing began in the first place.”

Brown acknowledged that communication around the China agreement could have been handled better but said the focus now is on strengthening trust and clarity between partners.

He also said the new arrangements with New Zealand had been “greatly received” by people.

“It really goes to show that we can come through difficult situations,” the prime minister said. “But if we are firm and clear about what the outcomes are that we're after, that can be translated into something positive to our people.”

Watch Mark Brown's full interview below.

Brown, who is expected to contest this year’s election, says clarity in messaging with both partners and the public will be important going forward.

“It's interesting times but we're very confident in the track record that we've established as a government in supporting our economy, building economic resilience and making sure that our people have opportunity moving forward.”

The interview is one of Brown’s most direct public discussions on the China agreement since the new security framework with New Zealand was signed, highlighting the delicate balance the Cook Islands continues to manage between major partners in the region.