New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said on Wednesday his country must “reset” its relationship with the Cook Islands government after its Pacific neighbour signed agreements with China without consultation.

The South Pacific country of Cook Islands has unveiled the details of a deal with China to boost cooperation after the pact provoked a rare diplomatic clash with the nation’s chief benefactor, New Zealand,

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters has called for a reset in government-to-government relations with the Cook Islands after its Pacific neighbor signed agreements with China without consultation.

But the proposed pact has shaken decades-old ties between the Cook Islands and New Zealand, neighbours that are set to mark 60 years of a free association agreement in 2025. That agreement has long given New Zealand influence over the Cook Islands, especially over its foreign policy.

New Zealand wants to renegotiate its free association agreements with Cook Islands to secure increased transparency in its foreign partnerships. To do so, New Zealand will need to step up its own support and can

New Zealand's Foreign Minister, Winston Peters, calls for a 'reset' in relations with the Cook Islands following agreements the latter signed with China. He highlights the strain on traditional ties due to opaque dealings and raises concerns over China's growing influence in the Pacific region.

Since 1965, the Cook Islands has been a country in free association with New Zealand. Its citizens have New Zealand passports and all the perks of that – access to New Zealand's

Foreign Minister Winston Peters has used a policy address to remind the Cook Islands of their responsibilities under a longstanding pact with New Zealand.