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Washington intends to contribute $50 million and New Zealand ​NZ$17.5 million ($10 million) for the project, which Wellington will implement in coordination with the Cook Islands and the U.S., according ​to a joint statement released during the Pacific Islands Forum in Palau.

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The upgrade at Omoka village on ⁠Penrhyn, also known as Tongareva, is intended to make ship landings safer, improve access to services and strengthen transport and economic ​links for the northern Cook Islands, according to the statement.

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The investment comes as the U.S., Australia and New Zealand seek to counter Beijing's expanding diplomatic, economic and security footprint in the Pacific, where small island states have become more important in a contest for strategic influence.

China has stepped up engagement through infrastructure, trade and security agreements ​across the region. The Cook ​Islands signed a comprehensive strategic ⁠partnership with China in February 2025, which included cooperation on infrastructure, maritime issues and seabed minerals. That agreement triggered a sharp dispute with New Zealand, with which the Cook Islands is in a ​free association. This means that Cook Islanders have New Zealand citizenship, but the two countries consult ​on foreign affairs ⁠matters.

Wellington said it had not been adequately consulted on the agreement and later paused NZ$18.2 million in development funding.

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