New Zealand halts funding for Cook Islands over China deals

Wellington says the Cook Islands must take concrete steps to "repair" their relationship.

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Wellington, the Cook Islands' biggest funder, said it was blindsided by the deals that were struck in February, covering infrastructure, tourism, technology and perhaps crucially, deep-sea mineral exploration.

Fresh funding will not be considered until the Cook Islands "takes concrete steps to repair the relationship and restore trust", said a spokesman for New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters.

The NZ$18.2m ($11m; £8m) funding halt comes as concerns grow among US allies, including New Zealand and Australia, over China's rise in the Pacific.

"Funding relies on a high trust bilateral relationship," Peters' spokesman said on Thursday.