#cook-islands

#cook-islands

Deep below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, the seafloor is dotted with clusters of brown and black rocks, each containing valuable metals. The rocks, known as polymetallic nodules, hold reserves of critical minerals that could be used to power clean energy and fuel a new industrial future. In the Cook Islands, a nation halfway between Hawaii and New Zealand, exploration vessels are mapping the mineral-rich seabeds.

On the Cook Islands' main island of Rarotonga, many people are angry over the damage caused to relations with New Zealand. Some welcome more Chinese investment but others raise questions over what it will bring.