Cockney's mate in a distant country (5)
I believe the answer is:
china
This might be a double definition.
'cockney's mate' is the first definition.
'china' can be an answer for 'mate' (cockney rhyming slang, mate is china plate). I am unsure of the 'cockney's' bit.
'distant country' is the second definition.
'China' can be an answer for 'country' (China is an example). I am unsure of the 'distant' bit.
'in a' is the link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for china that I've seen before include "Where one regularly unloads junk" , "Variety of rose" , "Porcelain; friend" , "It's fragile, though its economy is not!" , "Ceramic material" .)