The Cook Islands will mark 60 years of being in free association with New Zealand on 4 August. "Who [New Zealand sends], ...

The Cook Islands, a group of 15 small islands in the Pacific Ocean, have been closely tied to New Zealand for decades.

New Zealand has what is known as a "free association" relationship with the Cook Islands, and helps the latter with defence and foreign affairs. In the last three years, Wellington provided NZ$194m in ...

New Zealand's latest action was an “entirely avoidable consequence of Cook Islands’ strategic flirtations with China,” said Mihai Sora, analyst with the Australia-based thinktank Lowy ...

New Zealand has suspended millions of dollars in funding to the Cook Islands over agreements the smaller Pacific nation made with China.

New Zealand has halted more than $18 million in development assistance to its realm country. But the island's prime minister said his government was "aware" it was coming.

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 ...

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand has suspended millions of dollars in funding to the Cook Islands over the “breadth and content” of agreements the smaller Pacific nation has made ...

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — New Zealand has halted millions of dollars in funding to the Cook Islands over the "breadth and content" of agreements the smaller Pacific nation made with China ...

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, who is on his first official visit to China, said the Cook Islands had not been transparent and open about its comprehensive strategic partnership with China.

Cook Islands caught New Zealand off guard in February when it signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement with China covering deep-sea mining, regional cooperation and economic issues.