The Cook Islands may be small but the ambitions of its leader are mighty. A range of deals Prime Minister Mark Brown signed with China without consulting the public or New Zealand – an ally to which the Cooks is closely tied – has caused increasing irritation and concern.

Recent unprecedented live-fire drills by China's navy in the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand were "totally in line with international law", a spokesperson for its defence ministry said on Thursday.

France, Australia, Japan, Canada, New Zealand—following Washington’s lead—have each staged war games or concluded alliances with Manila targeting China.

China's naval exercise in the Tasman Sea has put Australia and New Zealand on alert, with Canberra calling it "unusual".

To strategically deepen the cross-border collaborative ties with global enterprises and encourage broader participation, the China International Import Expo (CIIE) promotional team embarked on an influential global promotion to Australia,

The Cook Islands is a self-governing nation and maintains free association with Wellington, sharing a head of state and citizenship rights. It is permitted an independent foreign

There’s no suggestion China broke any laws, but analysts say the episode highlights escalating regional tensions over China’s influence.

One can agree that, in military terms, none of these mid-table teams can match enormous countries such as the US, China or perhaps Russia. Equally, some smaller nations such as New Zealand or Singapore may be economically more nimble and efficient.

New Zealand's Defense Minister Judith Collins told Radio New Zealand on Monday that the live-fire activities happened on “a couple of hours’ notice” rather than the expected

New Zealand’s foreign minister is meeting senior officials in China just days after New Zealand and Australia said that Chinese warships should have given more warning before live-fire exercises in waters between their countries.

The public quarrel between New Zealand and the Cook Islands — which share a passport, a military and constitutional ties — is a victory for Beijing.