New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said on Wednesday his country must “reset” its relationship with the Cook Islands government after its Pacific neighbour signed agreements with China without consultation.

The tiny Pacific nation’s partnership agreement with China was signed amid a furious diplomatic row with New Zealand, its former colonial ruler.

The South Pacific country of Cook Islands has unveiled the details of a deal with China to boost cooperation after the pact provoked a rare diplomatic clash with the nation’s chief benefactor, New Zealand,

The Cook Islands has unveiled a strategic partnership with China covering areas like deep-sea mining and education, excluding security. Western nations worry about China's growing influence. Prime Minister Mark Brown emphasizes economic diplomacy,

The Cook Islands’ pact with China has been furiously denounced by New Zealand as breaching the neo-colonial constitutional arrangements with its Pacific neighbour.

The decision drew from New Zealand, which is increasingly cautious about China's growing presence in the Pacific region.

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters has called for a reset in government-to-government relations with the Cook Islands after its Pacific neighbor signed agreements with China without consultation.

Growing ties between Cook Islands and China, including a new comprehensive partnership agreement action plan detailed this week, have raised concerns in New Zealand, which has a close constitutional relationship with its tiny Pacific neighbour.

China has signed a wide-ranging deal with the Cook Islands, sparking concerns over Beijing’s growing influence in the Pacific. The Cook Islands Prime Minister defended the agreement amid global scrutiny.