New Zealand, which is the smaller Pacific nation's biggest funder, won't consider any new money for the Cook Islands until the relationship improves, a spokesperson for Foreign Minister Winston Peters ...

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters comments during an interview with The Associated Press in his parliamentary office in the capital, Wellington, Aug. 22, 2024.

Beijing, which said in February that the deals were not intended to antagonize New Zealand, defended its strategic partnership with the country of 15 islands and 15,000 people.

Fresh funding will not be considered until the Cook Islands "takes concrete steps to repair the relationship and restore trust", said a spokesman for New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters.