Photo: VCG
Full name: The Cook Islands
Area: 240 square kilometers
Population: 174,000 (2016)
Languages: Maori and English
Capital: Avarua
National Day: August 4
Head of State: Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom
Geography: A country in the South Pacific, between French Polynesia and Fiji.
Photo: VCG
Economy
GDP: $320,813,255
GDP per capita: $13,202
Currency: New Zealand Dollar (NZD)
Tourism is the pillar industry and most tourists are from New Zealand.
Politics
A unicameral system is implemented on the Cook Islands, and the legislative parliament consists of 24 members elected by universal suffrage, serving a four-year term in office.
The government is made up of a majority party of the parliament. In November 2010, Henry Puna, the leader of the Cook Islands Party won the parliamentary elections, becoming prime minister. In June 2018, general elections were held in the Cook Islands, and the Cook Islands Party confirmed its re-election in September. Henry Pune continued to serve as prime minister.
Health
Free medical care is implemented. In addition, there are eight government hospitals and 151 beds on the Cook Islands.
Education
Preschool education for 4-year-old children and compulsory education for 6-15 year-old children are provided. There are 39 primary and secondary schools with 5,560 students and more than 300 teachers.
Bilateral relations between China and the Cook Islands
Chinese president Xi Jinping (R) meets with prime minister of the Cook Islands Henry Puna (L). (Photo: Xinhua)
On July 25, 1997, China and the Cook Islands signed a bulletin on the establishment of diplomatic relations and decided to establish diplomatic relations at the ambassadorial level.
On July 25, 2017, Chinese President Xi Jinping and the British Queen's Representative to the Cook Islands Tom Marsters exchanged congratulatory messages to mark the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between their countries.
On November 16, 2018, President Xi met with the leaders of the Pacific island countries that have established diplomatic relations with China in Port Moresby, exchanging views with them on bilateral relations and pragmatic cooperation.
On April 24, 2019, Zhou Liujun, deputy director of the National Agency for International Development Cooperation, was invited to meet with Mark Brown, deputy prime minister of the Cook Islands. The two sides exchanged views on relevant issues in the field of development cooperation between the two countries and the progress of projects of mutual concern.