The United States has begun talks with the Cook Islands for research on seabed mineral exploration and development, just months after the South Pacific nation inked cooperation pacts with China that included undersea mining.
The US State Department announced Tuesday that the deal would involve mapping the Cook Islands’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), calling it “one of the most promising regions for deep-sea mineral deposits.”
The Cook Islands, a self-governing country in free association with New Zealand, consists of 15 islands and atolls located between New Zealand and Hawaii. Officials from the Cook Islands signed a five-year strategic partnership with China in February, covering cooperation in seabed mining, education, the economy, infrastructure, fisheries and disaster management.
That move strained relations with Wellington. In June, New Zealand suspended millions in budget support after…
