Cook Islands China deal riles allies as West’s grip loosens
Cook Islands China deal riles allies as West’s grip loosens
The recent spree of deals between the two is upsetting traditional allies wary of Beijing.
cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/26152630
Summary
Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown has signed multiple deals with China covering infrastructure, shipbuilding, deep-sea mineral exploration, and other sectors without consulting New Zealand, its traditional ally with "free association" status.
This move has sparked local protests and a no-confidence vote (which Brown survived), while "blindsiding" New Zealand and concerning Australia.
China’s growing influence in the Pacific, evident in recent naval exercises near Australia and New Zealand, has led to these developments.
With Trump’s unpredictability toward allies grows, Pacific nations face competing relationships with China and traditional Western allies amid shifting regional power dynamics.
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If I was a small Pacific Island nation I would look at who is leading the world towards peace and prosperity, and who is leading it to war and conflict. It would not be a hard decision to make.
Small island nations are also getting shitty at Australia dragging it feet on climate change whilst simultaneously giving sweetheart deals and huge tax breaks to oil, coal and gas companies and starting new mines/wells.