The prime minister of the Cook Islands could be facing a no-confidence vote this week. It's part of the continuing political fallout from a recent agreement the government reached with China.
It is the first time the Pacific nation has reached an international agreement outside its traditional partners: Australia and New Zealand.
Protests are continuing this week. Critics say the negotiating process and the deal itself have not been transparent.
They say it risks opening the Cook Islands to too much Chinese influence — and its long-term impacts are unclear.
The Cook Islands government of Prime Minister Mark Brown says the agreement centers on economic, infrastructure and maritime cooperation, but does not include security or defense.
The Cook Islands is a country of about 17,000 people that operates in “free association” with New Zealand, which gives assistance in foreign affairs, disaster relief and defense. Cook Islands citizens carry New Zealand passports.
New Zealand was not involved in the discussions with China.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with Brown before the deal was signed. He said China supports the Cook Islands in choosing a development path suited to its needs.
The agreement also aims to attract more Chinese visitors to the Cook Islands to boost the country’s tourism industry, which contributed nearly $300 million to the economy last year.
