Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning

The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Thursday reiterated China's position on cooperation with the Cook Islands, stressing that the China-Cook Islands relationship doesn't target any third party, nor should it be disrupted or constrained by any third party. In developing the relations with the Pacific Island countries, all parties should respect the independence of island countries, put development first, and uphold openness and inclusiveness.

The remarks were made by Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning at a regular press conference, in response to a question claiming that the new defense and security agreement signed by New Zealand and the Cook Islands on Thursday "effectively sidelines" previous deals signed between the Cook Islands and China. 

"The Cook Islands is China's important cooperation partner in the South Pacific. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties, the two countries have always respected each other, treated each other as equals and pursued shared development. China will continue to deepen pragmatic cooperation with the Cook Islands and deliver more benefits to the two peoples," Mao said.

The defense and security declaration were signed by New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters and Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown on Thursday, after Peters started his one-day visit to Rarotonga a day earlier, per a report by the Radio New Zealand.

According to a release from the official website of New Zealand government, the declaration "outlines a set of important political commitments that the Cook Islands and New Zealand have made to one another which provide clarity on key aspects of our special constitutional relationship," Peters was quoted as saying.

Some Western media have been hyping up China's role by linking the agreement to the bilateral cooperation documents signed between China and the Cook Islands in February 2025. Bloomberg claimed in a Thursday report that New Zealand signed the Cook Islands pact to "counter China deal", while the Guardian claimed the agreement came after the two countries' "quarrel over China deal."

Chen Hong, director of the New Zealand Studies Centre of East China Normal University, told the Global Times on Thursday that such hype by Western media is an attempt to create an atmosphere of geopolitical confrontation at the public opinion level, framing diverse cooperation in the region as bloc rivalry.

Briefing reporters on the bilateral cooperation documents China signed with the Cook Islands in 2025, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said that "This is the normal friendly exchange and cooperation between China and the Cook Islands." 

On the basis of mutual respect and equality, China stands ready to grow its friendship and cooperative ties with the Cook Islands and other Pacific island countries, and promote the common development and the building of a community with a shared future for mankind, Lin told a regular press conference back then.

Cooperation between China and Pacific island countries has long been based on the region's actual needs in such areas as development assistance, infrastructure development, trade, climate change and people-to-people exchanges, and in no way poses a security threat to any country, Chen said.

The expert cautioned that such geopolitical hype by Western media may drown out the legitimate development aspirations of Pacific island countries, which is not conducive to fostering a more open and inclusive cooperation environment in the South Pacific region.