US and New Zealand to Fund WWII-Era Port Upgrade in Cook Islands

The United States and New Zealand have announced a joint funding package to significantly upgrade a World War II-era port in the Cook Islands. The announcement was made on Tuesday during the Pacific Islands Forum in Palau, highlighting a renewed Western focus on the region.

Washington will contribute $50 million to the project, while New Zealand will provide NZ$17.5 million. The initiative will be implemented by Wellington in coordination with the Cook Islands and the US. The upgrade targets the port at Omoka village on Penrhyn atoll, also known as Tongareva.

The project is designed to make ship landings safer, improve access to essential services, and strengthen transport and economic links for the northern Cook Islands. The port and its airstrip were originally built by American personnel over 80 years ago and were used to move supplies and support aircraft during World War II.

US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau said the project builds on a critical-minerals framework signed with the Cook Islands earlier this year. He described such infrastructure initiatives as making the US and its partners safer and more prosperous.

The investment comes as the US, Australia, and New Zealand seek to counter China's expanding influence in the Pacific. Beijing has increased its engagement through infrastructure, trade, and security agreements across the region.

The Cook Islands signed a comprehensive strategic partnership with China in February 2025, which included cooperation on infrastructure and seabed minerals. That agreement caused friction with New Zealand, as the Cook Islands is in a free association with Wellington, meaning the two countries consult on foreign affairs. New Zealand later paused development funding over consultation concerns.

Relations have since been repaired, with both sides signing a defence and security declaration that clarified consultation procedures on such matters.