In the Pacific Ocean of the Southern Hemisphere, we know Tahiti (French Polynesia), we know fiji, and even Tonga is well known, but not many people know about the Cook Islands, and less than 1% of the world's people have visited the Cook Islands, and even fewer have visited the countrymen. Today, let's talk about the "Cook Islands" country.
What kind of country is the Cook Islands?
The Cook Islands, an archipelagic nation of 15 small islands in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, originated from the expedition to explore the South Pacific and discover many islands by Captain James Cook.
Where are the Cook Islands? It is located in the South Pacific Ocean, latitude 8 degrees to 23 degrees south, longitude 156 degrees to 167 degrees west. It belongs to the Polynesian Islands. Originally a free union zone of the Kingdom of New Zealand, between French Polynesia and Fiji, it covers an area of 240 square kilometers, which is roughly the size of a small town in a third- or fourth-tier city. It consists of 15 islands and reefs spread over 2 million square kilometers of sea.
The capital, Avaru, is located on the main island of Rarotonga and has an airport for Boeing 747 aircraft to take off and land. The 8 islands in the south are mountainous, fertile, rich in vegetables and tropical fruits, the highest altitude on the island is 652 meters, the Tropical Fruit Research Institute and the South Pacific University branch are located on the hillside; the 7 small islands dotted in the north, the soil is relatively poor, and the coral is abundant.
Of these, Aitutaki is one of the most famous of the outlying islands of the Cook Islands, consisting of atolls and a series of smaller reefs. From the air, it resembles an emerald set on the surface of the sea, with the most beautiful lagoon on the planet, once called the most beautiful island in the world by Lonely Planet founder Tony Wheeler. Therefore, there is a saying in the circle of donkey friends: not going to Aitutaki is equivalent to not having been to the Cook Islands.
The Cook Islands have a tropical rainforest climate. The average annual temperature is 24°C. The average annual rainfall is 2000 mm. The four seasons are not obvious, only the dry season and the rainy season. The dry season runs from April to November and the rainy season runs from December to March. The sea breeze is strong during the dry season, and the sun may not be seen for a week during the rainy season.
Such weather has also nurtured the forest resources of the Cook Islands. The Cook Islands are 68 per cent forested and are home to natural tropical rainforests, limestone forests, coastal and atolls forests, and pine plantations. Among them, the natural forest coverage rate is 63%, and the other 5% is artificial afforestation. Most of the plants are Caribbean pines. The main island of Rarotonga has typical pristine mountain rainforests and cloud rainforests, and is home to some endemic species.
In addition, the Cook Islands, despite their small size, constitute an economic sea area of up to 2 million square kilometers around the island, and fisheries account for a very high proportion and considerable importance in the country's economy, ranking fourth among the Pacific island states.
According to statistics, there are more than 200 species of seaweeds, about 600 species of fish, about 200 species of crustaceans, more than 70 species of echinoderms, and more than 120 species of corals in the sea area of the Cook Islands. It is worth mentioning that the black pearl farming industry in the Cook Islands has developed rapidly. Exports of black pearls account for more than 90% of total exports.
Thanks to the resource endowments and gifts of the South Pacific, tourism, farming (tropical fruits), fishing and black pearl farming and offshore finance make up the overall economy of the Cook Islands. According to statistics, the GDP of the Cook Islands in 2019 was 379 million US dollars, and the GDP per capita was 18,800 US dollars.
What is the history of the Cook Islands?
Māori people are Indigenous people.
In the 6th century AD, immigrants came from Tahiti.
In 1595, the Spanish sailor San Bernardo visited the area and recorded the island for the first time.
In 1606, a Portuguese sailor named Pedro Fernandez de Kiros landed in La Cahanga, saw the body of the indigenous people, marveled, and at a glance, named the Cook Islands "Gente Hermosa", meaning "beautiful people".
In 1773, the British navigator Captain James Cook ventured to this place, named after "Cook".
In 1888, along with Pitcairn Island, it became a British colonial protectorate under the jurisdiction of the Office of the High Commissioner for the South Pacific.
In June 1901, it became a new Zealand territory.
In 1964, a referendum was held under the supervision of the United Nations to adopt the Cook Islands Self-Government Constitution.
When the Constitution entered into force on 4 August 1965, the Treasury enjoyed full internal self-government, full legislative and executive powers, and maintained free ties with New Zealand, with the assistance of New Zealand in defence and diplomacy.
As the wool trembled to New Zealand, the New Zealand government sent a letter to the United Nations in 1989 stating that the International Community treated the Cook Islands as a sovereign State.
In 1992, the United Nations recognized its diplomatic independence and the Cook Islands officially became sovereign.
The origins of China and Kiribati
The Cook Islands are China's westernmost friend, located in the West 10th District, between 156 and 167 degrees west longitude, and the local time is 18 hours slower than china. If you depart from Beijing, transit through Auckland, New Zealand, arrive at the Cook Islands, fly over the International Date Line, there is a feeling of flying back to yesterday, very magical, as if traveling through the time tunnel, recovering the time.
China and the Cook Islands established diplomatic relations on July 25, 1997. In the past 25 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, great strides have been made in bilateral relations, bringing tangible benefits to the two countries and their peoples. Despite the differences in history, culture, natural endowments and national conditions, the common desire for development has become an important link in bilateral relations.
In November 1998, Cook Islands Prime Minister Jeffrey Henry and his wife paid an official visit to China.
From August 21 to September 21, 1999, the Cook Islands Puna Korillo Song and Dance Troupe visited China to participate in the China International Year of National Song and Dance, and toured 10 cities including Beijing, Qingdao, Dalian and Wuhan. On November 4 of the same year, China's assistance to the Cook Islands bridge and market platform project was officially handed over.
From 10 to 12 April 2000, Minister of Agriculture Chen Yaobang led a delegation to visit the Cook Islands, where they met with the Queen of cook islands representative Apenara Short, Prime Minister Maoarte, Deputy Prime Minister George and all members of the Cook Cabinet, and held talks with Cook Foreign Minister and Minister of Agriculture Winton.
In February 2001, He Xiaowei, Assistant Minister of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation, led a delegation to visit the Cook Islands and signed the Agreement on Sino-Kukish Economic and Technical Cooperation with Kurokh Foreign Minister Winton, according to which China will provide 10 million yuan of free assistance to the Kudu side.
On August 1, 2006, Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing visited the Cook Islands and held talks with Cook Islands Prime Minister Maroulai.
On August 30, 2012, China, the Cook Islands and New Zealand issued the "Statement on the Cook Islands Water Supply Cooperation Project", China, the Republic of The Republic of China and Singapore will jointly build a water supply project for Rarotonga Island, the largest island in the Cook Islands, so that the people of the Cook Islands can drink clean drinking water as soon as possible; on the 31st, a distant-water fishing vessel of Shenzhen South China Fisheries Company sailed into the largest port of Rarotonga Island in the Cook Islands - Awatiu Port, bringing 100 tons of golden tuna to the people of the Cook Islands.
On 19 December 2017, the AIIB Council announced its approval of membership in the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank through the Cook Islands.
In November 2018, on the eve of the China-Pacific Island Leaders' Meeting, cook islands and China signed a memorandum of understanding on jointly building the Belt and Road Cooperation, committed to carrying out mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation in multiple fields under the framework of the initiative.
In late February 2020, after the new crown pneumonia invaded the Pacific island countries, the Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries quickly mobilized and coordinated with the governments and enterprises of Shanghai, Guangdong Province, Jiangyin City and other places to raise 305,500 disposable masks, 1,900 sets of protective clothing, 1,040 bottles of hand sanitizer, 7,000 pairs of disposable gloves, 100 forehead temperature guns and other anti-epidemic materials worth 823,000 yuan, which were donated to the Cook Islands and other South Pacific Island countries in batches.
Since the sino-Kukorean diplomatic relations, it seems that China is sponsoring the development and construction of the Cook Islands, and some people have questions: Is it worth it for China to do so? Will it lead to a story of a farmer and a snake?
In fact, this is very American thinking. China has always insisted that all countries, large and small, are equal. Even the size of a township pocket country. Moreover, the Sino-Singaporean relationship is actually an extension of the Sino-Singapore relationship. The stabilization of China-Singapore relations will help strengthen the deepening of China-Singapore relations.
In addition, have you noticed the geographical location of the Cook Islands? The Cook Islands are right on the arc of Polynesia in Oceania. The Polynesian arc is an important link in the third island chain. The third island chain is a defensive line centered on the U.S. state of Hawaii, stretching from the Aleutian Islands in the north to the Polynesian islands in Oceania in the south. The Cook Islands are in the middle of it.
China's increased assistance to the Cook Islands is a far-reaching strategic investment in the long run. This seemingly small island country in the South Pacific, which seems to have little importance in geostrategic position, is an important foothold for China to wedge into the third island chain, and can be at opposite angles with the solomilla islands, Kiribati and other strategic points, forming a triangle island arc, which can not only hinder the second island chain, but also contain the formation of the third island chain.
Although the South Pacific Island countries are small, there are more than a dozen of them, and developing friendly relations with them, making "many friends" and twisting them into a rope to form a united front is a huge force. The more we value a South Pacific island nation like the Cook Islands, the more america's Indo-Pacific strategy becomes unplayable.