Beneath attractive terms lies a potential trap: as the Cook Islands become increasingly reliant on Chinese funding, it risks compromising its fiscal sovereignty.
Skeptics say such minerals are already plentiful on land and warn that mining the seabed could cause irreparable damage to an environment that is still poorly understood.
“In the Pacific, we need to work together. We need to be engaging with each other and sharing information in order for us to combat forecasted crimes.”
With the Pacific region’s strategic importance in the superpower contest between the United States and China firmly established, the stakes at this Forum meeting - and forthcoming ones - are evidently much higher than ever before.
Outgoing PIF chair and Prime Minister of Fiji, Sitiveni Rabuka, welcomed the appointment saying “we are in good hands as we paddle our drua to achieve our collective aspirations”.
The honour recognises Mukerji's nearly three-decade career as one of India's most celebrated actors, as well as her commitment to social causes supporting women, children and marginalised communities.
The Federal Government will also work with state and territory governments to ensure major AI infrastructure is built in appropriate locations with input from local communities.
