Hong Kong, June 23 -- The Pacific Islands are considered a point of vulnerability for Chinese encroachment and influence peddling, and the Cook Islands is following in the footsteps of Vanuatu and Solomon Islands in signing strategic deals with Beijing.

In February, when Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown visited Beijing, the country signed four agreements. The most important was the Action Plan for the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership 2025-2030. Three other agreements served a supporting role, these covering the blue economy, seabed minerals and economic/technical cooperation.

At the same time, China promised aid worth RMB20 million for yet-to-be-determined development projects. The Cook Islands government said at the time, "The...