The Cook Islands' relationship with China is strong despite a US intelligence report accusing China of currying favour with Pacific countries through bribery and infrastructure investments, the Cooks government says.
Contractors work on the Te Mato Vai water project in Rarotonga, Cook Islands Photo: Phillipa Webb / Cook Islands News
Deputy prime minister Mark Brown said China had an interest in expanding its global outreach and had offered many Pacific islands development assistance on a bilateral basis.
Much of this help had been in the form of infrastructure which could not be funded by more traditional development partners, he said.
China's emergence in the Pacific had become a driver for increased assistance from other countries, such as Australia, Britain and New Zealand but also India, Indonesia and Russia, Mr Brown said.
The Cook Islands has had diplomatic relations with China for 20 years while it has not established any formal relationship with the US, he said.
In December, Mr Brown said his government was seeking legal redress for sub-standard work done by a Chinese company on Rarotonga's water supply system.
