New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters said on Wednesday his country must “reset” its relationship with the Cook Islands government after its Pacific neighbour signed agreements with China without consultation.

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

Cook Islands is “always free to choose” to be independent of New Zealand, Foreign Minister Winston Peters said Wednesday. The statement from Peters came amid tensions between Wellington and the self-governing South Pacific island nation that signed a pact with China last week.

Since 1965, the Cook Islands has been a country in free association with New Zealand. Its citizens have New Zealand passports and all the perks of that – access to New Zealand's

New Zealand Foreign Minister Winston Peters has called for a reset in government-to-government relations with the Cook Islands after its Pacific neighbor signed agreements with China without consultation.

China has signed a wide-ranging deal with the Cook Islands, sparking concerns over Beijing’s growing influence in the Pacific. The Cook Islands Prime Minister defended the agreement amid global scrutiny.

Foreign Minister Winston Peters has used a policy address to remind the Cook Islands of their responsibilities under a longstanding pact with New Zealand.