The Diplomat

Cook Islands’ China Shock: A ‘Frog in the Pot’ Moment for Pacific Security

From left to right, Prime Minister of the Cook Islands Mark Brown, Associate Minister of Foreign Affairs and Immigration of the Cook Islands Tukaka Ama, Chinese Premier Li Qiang, and Chinese Minister ...
The New York Times

How China Became a Wedge Between Two South Pacific Neighbors

A standoff between New Zealand and the Cook Islands reflects an urgent question in the Pacific: Is China a threat or a partner for growth? By Victoria Kim Reporting from Wellington, New Zealand Every ...
Mongabay

Expedition charts Cook Islands seafloor, amid scrutiny over mining motives

Between Oct. 1 and 21, a U.S government-funded vessel, the E/V Nautilus, conducted an expedition in the Cook Islands’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ), following an agreement between the U.S. and the ...
The New York Times

The Tiny Nation at the Vanguard of Mining the Ocean Floor

Below the waters of the Cook Islands, population 15,000, lie minerals used to power electric cars. Extracting them could bring riches, but many say it’s a bad idea. By Pete McKenzie Reporting from ...
The Heritage Foundation

Countering China at Sea: Inside America’s Cook Islands Play

“Happy Te Maeva Nui!”—a cheerful phrase that echoed across the Cook Islands as the nation celebrated 60 years of independence with reed dances, float parades, and choir performances. For a week, Kapa ...