Maritime Cook Islands (“MCI”), the international ship registry, celebrates 20 years’ of diplomatic relations between the Cook Islands and People’s Republic of China. To mark the 20th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and Cook Islands, China’s President Xi Jinping and His Excellency Tom Marsters, the Queen’s Representative to the Cook Islands, exchanged congratulatory messages. In his message, Marsters acknowledged that the two countries have witnessed significant progress – political trust has significantly deepened; increased people-to-people and cultural exchanges; and China-Cook Islands economic and technological partnership agreement have yielded impressive returns. Xi echoed Marsters’ message and hoped to further solidify China-Cook Islands strategic partnership in various fields. To celebrate this monumental day, a special reception was held at the Edgewater Resort in the Cook Islands. The reception was attended by His Excellency Du Qiwen, Special Envoy for the Pacific Islands Forum; Wang Lutong, Ambassador to New Zealand; and Cook Islands Prime Minister Henry Puna. The reception was also attended by cabinet ministers and members of Parliament, just to name a few – bringing the total number attendees to 130.  Chief Executive Officer of MCI, Glenn Armstrong said today: “China’s shipping market is known internationally to have expanded at a rapid pace. The established alliance between Cook Islands and China therefore allows MCI to tap on the significantly large economic opportunities present in the Chinese market.” Glenn added: “20 years is a special moment given how different the two countries are – not just in terms of population size but also in culture and language. But despite the differences, it is important to highlight China’s support throughout the years in helping Cook Islands achieve greater international exposure for the Pacific.” “Much has been achieved for the past 20 years and we hope there are many more of such occasions that this relationship will witness.”