By Rashneel Kumar, Cook Islands News
Prime Minister Mark Brown Photo: RNZ Pacific / Lydia Lewis
Prime Minister Mark Brown will be accorded a state visit to China this month, highlighting growing cooperation between the two countries.
The state visit was initially announced in December 2024, during a visit by Dr Zhaoxu Ma, the Executive Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China (PRC).
This marked the highest-level visit by a Chinese government official to the Cook Islands.
Cook Islands News understands PM Brown and his delegation will visit China this month.
When contacted for comment, the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) said it was preparing a press release about the visit and would be in touch to share the statement near the end of the week.
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The newspaper asked the Prime Minister if he could confirm that he had been invited for a state visit, the dates of the trip and what he hoped to achieve through it.
Cook Islands News also asked him for comment on accusations that China is attempting to influence regional leaders, and whether this proposed state visit has drawn any reaction from New Zealand, with whom the Cook Islands shares a special constitutional relationship.
The newspaper also sent questions to the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in New Zealand, seeking comment on the details of this visit and accusations that China is attempting to influence regional leaders through state visits.
During the bilateral meeting in December 2024, Prime Minister Brown and Executive Vice Minister Ma explored opportunities to deepen cooperation in critical areas such as economic development, agriculture, health, education, infrastructure, cultural exchange and climate change response, OPM said in a statement.
The statement also said that officials were working towards finalising a Comprehensive Statement of Partnership and a state visit by the Prime Minister to China next year (2025).
"This agreement will represent a new chapter in our partnership," PM Brown stated in December. "Together, we will build on our achievements to deliver even greater benefits for our people."
During their December visit, Executive Vice Minister Ma and his delegation, which included China's ambassador to the Cook Islands, Wang Xiaolong, also celebrated the achievements of the Te Mato Vai project. The project was delivered through a tripartite agreement between the governments of the Cook Islands, New Zealand and China, who jointly funded and delivered it.
According to the OPM, the TMV project has transformed Rarotonga's 100-year-old water network, ensuring reliable access to clean and safe water for future generations.
"This project is more than pipes and reservoirs - it is a commitment to a stronger, healthier, and more resilient nation," said Brown.
"Together, we've delivered a project that not only meets the needs of today but safeguards the future of Rarotonga's water supply."
Ambassador Wang paid his second official visit to Rarotonga in just over a month, from 30 January to 1 February.
The aim of his recent visit was to strengthen bilateral relations and enhance the various areas of cooperation between the Cook Islands and the Republic of China, the Cook Islands Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Immigration (MFAI) said last week.
The visiting ambassador met with Foreign Secretary Tepaeru Herrmann and other government senior officials, according to MFAI.
Secretary Herrmann earlier stated: "Ambassador Wang's visit affords a further opportunity to see how and where else the Cook Islands and China can co-operate in the next couple of years in a manner which supports the Cook Islands national development priorities."
Edit:The earlier version of the article stated that Prime Minister Mark Brown is the first Cook Islands leader to be accorded a state visit to China. In fact, three former prime ministers - Sir Geoffrey Henry, Dr Robert Woonton and Jim Marurai - have also made state visits to China.
