*New Zealand Halts Funding To Cook Islands Over China Ties* New Zealand on Thursday announced the suspension of NZ$18.2 million ($10.97 million) in budget support to the Cook Islands, as ties between the two constitutionally linked nations strain further over the Cook Islands’ growing engagement with China. A spokesperson for New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said in a statement that the country’s core sector support funding relies on a high trust bilateral relationship and New Zealand decided in early June to pause the funding. 🔗 https://stratnewsglobal.com/world-news/new-zealand-halts-funding-to-cook-islands-over-china-ties