Cook Islands received pproved destination status (ADS) from the Government of China in 2004. China's generosity to the Cook Islands has included the financing through grant assistance of the construction of three major buildings - the Courthouse and Justice Department, the National Police Headquarters and the National Sports Stadium.
The Cook Islands participated in the Pacific Pavilion at the 2010 Shanghai World Expo. Maritime Cook Islands operates an open register for yachts and ships and is now offering Chinese yacht and ship owners the opportunity to register their vessels on the Cook Islands Flag. e have appointed a very good and experienced deputy Registrar in Shanghai in the person of Mei Zhou. Mei has previously worked with the Panama Flag and knows everything there is to know about registering Chinese owned ships on an international register. aid Glenn Armstrong, Managing Director of Maritime Cook Islands. ei is fully authorized to register and certify ships and yachts on the Cook Islands Register. She will deal with Chinese ship owners in their own language and in their own time zone and will guide them through our simple yet thorough procedures. She has full authority to issue Cook Islands Certificates, Acknowledgement Letters and exemptions. ? e understand that ship owners are our customers and that we need to look after them. We understand that time is money we aim to be fast, accurate and efficient. We aim to keep ships compliant and to keep them moving. Says Glenn Armstrong.
Cook Islands has tried to make registration on the flag as quick, simple and efficient as possible. Registration documentation and mortgage recording procedures are simple yet comprehensive, making it as user friendly as possible, whilst ensuring that vessels are compliant and owners and mortgagees interests are protected. Cook Islands is an IMO Member State and is party to all major IMO Conventions. Maritime Cook Islands ensures that ships registered in Cook Islands comply with IMO Conventions, Codes and Rules and will not be targeted by Port State Control because of the Flag.
Cook Islands does not impose additional requirements on shipowners beyond the requirements of the IMO conventions to which Cook Islands is party. There are no requirements regarding nationality of crew. The Cook Islands Offshore Jurisdiction has been established for over 25 years and much of our offshore legislation is the model on which others are based. Corporations are easy to maintain and administer. There is no Cook Islands tax to pay and no tax returns are required to be filed by the owners of Cook Isalnds registered Ships and Yachts.
