Cook Islands Election Too Close to Call as China Ties and Economy Dominate

Cook Islands voters head to the polls in an election polls show is too close to call. PM Mark Brown defends strategic partnership deals with China and claims of 10% annual growth and debt halved. Opposition leader Teariki Heather campaigns on transparency and the New Zealand relationship, which he says has been "set in concrete since 1965." Brown survived a no-confidence vote over the China pact in February 2025; ties with Wellington were reset in April 2026.