We wrote recently suggesting the need for more scrutiny by the NZ media about developments in the Pacific, particularly relating to competition between China and Taiwan. We wrote an analysis about the recent establishment of diplomatic relations between Niue and China and questioned how this squared with Niue's constitutional status.
The Cook Islands have the same constitutional status as Niue. And like Niue, China has spread its tentacles in the Cook Islands direction. There is an excellent analysis of this by Poneke. Poneke also bemoans the lack of in depth coverage of this topic in the New Zealand media.
