Seabed Diplomacy Stirs Global Currents of Cooperation and Conflict

Mar 11, 2025 | Melissa Metos
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The seabed is not only a source for critical metals such as cobalt and nickel, but also for geopolitical tensions as both the U.S. and China seek to explore the unexplored. In February 2025, China signed a deal to search for seabed minerals in the Cook Islands—granting $4 million to the small island that has “... perhaps the largest primary cobalt ore body in the world.” Although no mining certificate was granted, and Prime Minister Mark Brown insists the sector will maintain its strict regulations, New Zealand—the island’s neighbor and primary benefactor—was not advised and plans to analyze the pact.