NZ Cook Islands Defence & Security Declaration Welcomed

Media Release | 02 April | For Immediate Release

PILLAR welcomes today’s defence and security declaration with the Cook Islands as a necessary and timely step to protect New Zealand’s national security and push back against the growing threat of foreign interference in the Pacific.

“New Zealand cannot afford to be passive in the face of rising geopolitical pressure in our own region,” said Nathan Seiuli, Executive Director of PILLAR. “This declaration reflects a renewed seriousness about safeguarding our sovereignty and maintaining stability in the Pacific.”

New Zealand and the Cook Islands share a unique constitutional relationship within the Realm of New Zealand, which carries clear expectations around cooperation on defence and security.

That relationship was put under strain in 2025 when the Cook Islands entered into a comprehensive strategic partnership with China without consultation with New Zealand.

“The failure to consult on such a significant agreement raised serious concerns about transparency, trust, and the long-term strategic direction of our region,” Seiuli said.

The Chinese Communist Party has a well-documented record of using economic and security partnerships to expand its influence, project power, undermine democratic institutions, and entrench strategic leverage across the Indo-Pacific.

Today’s declaration is a direct and appropriate response to those risks.

“Foreign interference and transnational repression linked to the CCP are not hypothetical threats. They are active and growing challenges that undermine democratic freedoms, intimidate diaspora communities, and erode national sovereignty,” said Seiuli.

As a liberal democracy, New Zealand has both a responsibility and a strategic imperative to work closely with Pacific partners to resist coercive influence and uphold a stable and free regional order.

Today’s agreement is a step toward reasserting that standard: that decisions affecting regional security must be made transparently and with full regard for their impact on New Zealand and the Pacific.

PILLAR also believes that strengthening New Zealand’s domestic legal framework is critical to addressing these risks. “Our proposed Foreign Interference Transparency Bill would help expose and deter covert influence, ensuring foreign actors cannot operate in the shadows within our institutions,” Seiuli said. “If we are serious about defending our democracy, we must match our international posture with robust protections at home.”

ENDS

Media Contact | Nathan Seiuli | +64 21 485 449 | Nathan@nzpillar.com