Dear Editor, The Cook Islands Government and the United States of America Government signed a treaty that came into force on September 8 1983, titled, Treaty between the USA and the Cook Islands on Friendship and Delimitation of the Maritime Boundary between the USA and the Cook Islands. It was duly ratified by US President Ronald Reagan and Prime Minister Sir Tom Davis.

Article V of the treaty declared, “The United States of America recognises the sovereignty of the Cook Islands over the islands of Penrhyn. Pukapuka, Manihiki and Rakahanga”. The reason Article V was written into the agreement was to resolve a territorial dispute that the USA previously maintained a claim to sovereignty of the aforementioned four northern atolls, now relinquished that claim.

The treaty also read in part that “The Government of the USA and the Government of the Cook Islands in the spirit of peace and friendship existing between the two governments and peoples, agree to cooperate with a view to promoting social and economic development in the Cook Islands and to work toward the South Pacific region as a whole.”

Before the USA renounced its claim of sovereignty over Penrhyn, Pukapuka, Rakahanga and Manihiki, the question arose whether it was legally possible for the US to enter into a treaty relationship with a political entity other than a fully sovereign and independent state. After a legal analysis, the conclusion was the Cook Islands is in free association with New Zealand. On internal affairs, it is self-governing and it may unilaterally declare its independence from NZ at any time. And the Cook Islands conducts its foreign affairs in conjunction with NZ and NZ could place a limitation on the conduct of foreign affairs by the Cook Islands.

The reason the USA needed assurance that the Cook Islands Government would conduct its foreign affairs in conjunction with NZ was because the USA, NZ and the Cook Islands were allies in World War II and Penrhyn served as a logistical base for allied forces operating in the region to keep its possession away from the Japanese.

The Cook Islands have a celebrated past both in World War I and World War II. The story of the Cook Islands in the First World War is one of remarkable service and sacrifice, one of the smallest territories in the British Empire at the time, it responded immediately to the call for service and eventually sent five contingents to the war (totalling close to 500 men).

The Cook Islands were a NZ territory during World War II and played a key role in the war effort. Although the Islands were not directly involved in combat, they provided a logistical base for Allied forces. A militia was formed in the Cook Islands in 1940, and NZ supplied the force with weapons and equipment. Cook Islands coastwatchers observed enemy movements and rescued Allied personnel.

“Lest we forget” the sacrifices of those who served because Prime Minister Mark Brown and his coalition government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Chinese Communist Party Government who have the potential to go up to Penrhyn and start building port wharves, shipbuilding and ship repair that can pose a great threat to the Cook Islands, New Zealand and the United States of America – we could lose everything we fought so valiantly to keep-our democratic way of life.

Winston Peters is travelling to the US this week Wednesday to meet his counterpart Secretary of State Marco Rubio to hold meetings with members of the Trump administration and other US political contacts to discuss among other things the security of the Pacific.

International foreign affairs experts expect Peters and Rubio to discuss the strategic advantage to port access in the Cook Islands gives China and why New Zealand, Australia and the United States should be alarmed.

China is trying to drive a wedge between NZ, Australia and the US with its interactions with small islands like the Cook Islands and in a bigger sense is eyeing the US, that is why China tested intermediate range missiles into the Pacific last year November and then followed that up with live fire in the Tasman off the coast of Australia. All of this was done to cause anger and fright-it was a shot across the bow.

The Cook Islands does not have large harbours or airfields except for the prized Penrhyn Island to station troops but the rest of the Cook Islands can be used as a reach supply point where China can sustain their operation in the South Pacific by getting water, food and other important supplies onto ships so they can stay a long time. The Cook Islands are important to China as a supply point and as a military point in Penrhyn.

The US was counting on its close ally NZ and Australia to maintain stability in the South Pacific but now the US is in danger because the Cook Islands has extended the chain where China could be next to the critical military installations at Guam and Hawaii – this is a grave national security issue for the US and will be on the agenda for Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Mr. Peters to discuss a plan of action.

A new survey conducted four days ago by the Atlantic Council, a global affairs think tank in Washington D.C. and a survey involving 357 political strategists, say World War III is inevitable and will likely start in the next 10 years.

Since the end of the Cold War in 1991, various military conflicts, notably the Russian invasion of Ukraine ongoing since 2022, as well as rising geopolitical tensions between the US and China have been perceived as potential flashpoints or triggers for a third world war and now the Cook Islands has been unnecessarily drawn into this and the last thing we want is to have a target on our back.

Steve Boggs

Editor’s note – Prime Minister Mark Brown confirmed that the strategic partnership agreement between the Cook Islands and China does not include any security aspects.