The Cook Islands said on Saturday that it signed a comprehensive strategic partnership deal with China - a move expected to raise concerns in New Zealand with which it has constitutional ties. The deal was signed by Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown during a visit to Beijing.

China and the Cook Islands on Friday signed a comprehensive strategic partnership agreement, but the lack of transparency around the details has alarmed New Zealand, the South Pacific state’s closest democratic ally.

China is willing to deepen mutual political trust with the Cook Islands, China's Premier Li Qiang said during a meeting with Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown, China's national television broadcaster reported on Friday.

No details have been released, but analysts and environmentalists fear it will pave the way for closer security ties and the start of deep-sea mining.

Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown says the deal with China "compliments, not replaces" the relationship with New Zealand after signing it on Friday.

China stood ready for "in-depth" talks with the Cook Islands, Beijing said on Thursday, a day before a meeting between Premier Li Qiang and visiting Prime Minister Mark Brown. According to the Chinese foreign ministry,

Cook Islands signs strategic partnership with China, raising concerns in New Zealand over growing Chinese presence in the Pacific.

China acknowledged a visit by the Cook Islands leader for the first time on Thursday, amid exasperation in New Zealand that it was not consulted about expected agreements involving the South Pacific nation,

China signs an agreement with an island nation. America’s regional partners get spooked. The Cook Islands, a sparsely populated string of 15 islets, is the latest to set off alarm bells. Its prime minister,