New Zealand halts Cook Islands funding over China deals

China's diplomatic ties with Western countries have faced increasing scrutiny in recent times. Now, a significant development has taken place in the Pacific region, where New Zealand has decided to halt its funding to the Cook Islands due to concerns over increasing Chinese influence.

Cook Islands Prime Minister Henry Puna has recently returned from China after signing several multilateral agreements and meeting with Chinese officials. These deals have raised concerns in New Zealand about the growing Chinese presence in the Pacific region.

In response, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has announced that her government will be halting all further funding to the Cook Islands.

When asked for comments, a spokesperson for the New Zealand government said that the decision was based on their commitment to ensuring transparency and openness in the region.

While the Cook Islands is a self-governing country in free association with New Zealand, it has been accused in recent years of acting more like a client state of China, owing to the numerous deals it has made with China.