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 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 New Zealand Government says the Cook Islands has failed to properly consult it on proposed agreements Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown will be signing in China this week. Brown has now left for China without further consultation,

New Zealand expressed renewed concern on Monday about the Cook Islands' prime minister travelling to China this week to sign agreements without properly consulting with Wellington despite the two nations' constitutional ties.

The islands’ PM said Pacific nations were looking for other countries to ‘fill the gap’ in the wake of Trump’s return as US president.

Since 1965, the Cook Islands has been a country in free association with New Zealand. Its citizens have New Zealand passports and all the perks of that – access to New Zealand's

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.

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.

Foreign Minister Winston Peters has used a policy address to remind the Cook Islands of their responsibilities under a longstanding pact with New Zealand.