9 Nov 2018

Cook Islands to join China's Belt and Road

2:19 pm on 9 November 2018

The Cook Islands says it will sign on to China's Belt and Road initiative in the next week.

Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown

Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown Photo: Phillipa Webb / Cook Islands News

The global development plan, also known as One Belt One Road, has attracted several Pacific nations to join, including Niue in July.

Cook Islands Finance Minister Mark Brown said his government is looking over the proposed agreement.

He said it will sign in time for the APEC summit in Papua New Guinea next week, when Pacific Island leaders will meet with China's President Xi Jinping.

"We have had discussions also with New Zealand about their signing up to the Belt and Road initiative and how the wording of the documentation is. So that's I guess something that's in progress in the lead up to the APEC meeting in the next week or so."

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