WELLINGTON, Sept 1 - New Zealand and the United States announced a joint funding package on Tuesday to modernize a World War Two-era port on Penrhyn atoll in the Cook Islands, signaling closer cooperative infrastructure work in a Pacific region that has seen increasing external engagement.
The two governments said Washington will contribute $50 million and New Zealand NZ$17.5 million, equivalent to roughly $10 million, toward upgrades at the Omoka village port on Penrhyn, also known by its indigenous name Tongareva. The work will be delivered by New Zealand in coordination with the Cook Islands and the United States, according to a joint statement released at the Pacific Islands Forum meeting in Palau.
The announced improvements are designed to make ship landings safer, broaden access to services and strengthen transport and economic links for the northern Cook Islands. Officials framed the project as a practical investment to support local connectivity and resilience for the remote northern atoll.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau noted the port and the adjacent airstrip were originally built by American personnel more than 80 years ago. He said the airfield had been used during World War Two to move personnel and supplies and to support aircraft transiting the region. "Through transformational infrastructure initiatives such as this, we are making the United States and our partners safer, stronger, and more prosperous," Landau said in the statement. He also said the project builds on a critical-minerals framework agreed earlier this year between the Cook Islands and the United States.
Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown said the port upgrade is intended to bolster economic resilience in the northern atoll. He identified potential benefits for emerging industries, citing the possibility of seabed mineral activity as well as enhanced fisheries capabilities. "This project will play a key role as our northernmost port in our country," Brown said.
The announcement accompanies broader efforts by the United States, Australia and New Zealand to reinforce ties and relationships in the Pacific, where countries have become focal points in a contest for diplomatic, economic and security influence. The joint funding and implementation were presented by officials as part of that wider regional engagement.
The joint statement also referenced growing activity by the People's Republic of China in the Pacific through infrastructure projects, trade and security agreements. In February 2025 the Cook Islands signed a comprehensive strategic partnership with China that included cooperation on infrastructure, maritime issues and seabed minerals. That agreement prompted a sharp dispute with New Zealand, with which the Cook Islands has a free association arrangement. Under that relationship Cook Islanders hold New Zealand citizenship and the two governments consult on foreign affairs matters.
Wellington publicly said it had not been adequately consulted about the Cook Islands' partnership with China and subsequently paused NZ$18.2 million in development funding. Officials said relations have since been repaired. The Cook Islands and New Zealand later signed a defence and security declaration intended to clarify how the two sides would consult on defence and security matters.
New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters described the bilateral relationship with the Cook Islands as restored, saying, "The relationship of these cousins has got back to its best footing ever." When asked whether China had plans to fund an upgrade to the Penrhyn airfield, Peters said that was not going to happen, citing New Zealand's special relationship with the Cook Islands.
Analysis and context
The project represents a targeted infrastructure investment aimed at improving maritime safety and connectivity for an isolated atoll. Officials highlighted potential economic outcomes including support for fisheries and the facilitation of nascent seabed minerals activity. The United States framed the initiative as part of a broader critical-minerals engagement, linking infrastructure work to resource-related cooperation that had been agreed earlier this year.
At the diplomatic level, the announcement comes against a backdrop of intensified engagement by multiple external powers in the Pacific. The funding and implementation arrangements reflect a coordinated effort by Washington and Wellington to deliver tangible infrastructure outcomes while reaffirming consultative ties with the Cook Islands government.