The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is spreading to Pacific Island countries (PICs), posing a severe threat to their economies and human security. Donors are aiding the region. For example, the United States has provided over US$32 million to PICs. Australia announced AU$10.5 million as budget support to Fiji. The challenges created by the pandemic provide an opportunity for traditional and new players to compete for influence.

This paper briefly examines China’s ‘COVID-19 diplomacy’ as it is the largest new player in the region and argues that the pandemic may have geopolitical consequences.