Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, who is on his first official visit to China, said the Cook Islands had not been transparent and open about its comprehensive strategic partnership with China.

China is New Zealand's largest trading partner, with over 20 percent of our exports coming here. But there is room for so much more," he said in a video posted on social media on Wednesday. "We're focused on growing trade where New Zealand leads.

New Zealand has suspended millions of dollars in funding to the Cook Islands, the government said Thursday, as relations between the