Prime Minister of the Cook Islands Mark Brown speaks during the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) Summit at United Nations headquarters in New York City, New York, U.S., September 18, 2023. REUTERS/Caitlin Ochs (Reuters) - Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown survived on Wednesday a vote of no confidence in parliament brought by the opposition over deals he struck with China that strained relations with New Zealand.

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

China's Defense Ministry said Sunday that Australia had made “unreasonable accusations” and deliberately hyped the situation after three planes headed to New Zealand changed course in midflight because of live-fire drills by the Chinese navy.

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.

Commercial pilots were forced to divert from their routes when the Chinese navy gave minimal warning of a live fire exercise in the waters between Australia and New Zealand. The Albanese government wants an explanation from Beijing.

In this photo released by, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, center, listens to New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters' speech during a bilateral meeting in

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 said the Chinese navy conducted a live-fire exercise in international waters near the Pacific nation on Saturday, a day after it held a similar drill between Australia and New Zealand that forced airlines to divert flights.

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

China signs an agreement with an island nation. America’s regional partners get spooked. The Cook Islands, a sparsely populated string of 15 islets, is the latest to set off alarm bells. Its prime minister,

China and New Zealand have reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining high-level exchanges and strengthening communication and cooperation to ensure their comprehensive strategic partnership moves forward on the right track and achieves greater progress.