New Zealand’s Foreign Minister Winston Peters will touch down in Beijing on Tuesday for a three-day visit as relations between the two countries are strained after Chinese Navy vessels conducted live firing exercises in the Tasman Sea.

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.

A strategic partnership deal between China and the Cook Islands spans areas from deep-sea mining to education scholarships but excludes security ties, a document released by the Pacific island nation's government showed.

China and the Cook Islands signed an action plan last week for a comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, China's Foreign Ministry said on Monday, giving further details about a deal expected to raise concerns in New Zealand.

The public quarrel between New Zealand and Cook Islands — which share a passport, a military and constitutional ties — was a victory for Beijing’s efforts to woo Pacific leaders and a blow ...

No details have been released, but analysts and environmentalists fear it will pave the way for closer security ties and the start of deep-sea mining.

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

A comprehensive partnership deal between the Cook Islands and China has been signed in Harbin over the weekend.

Cook Islands deal has implications for Pacific security, but particularly for New Zealand, the United States, and Australia.