Deepening reachIn 2006, then-Premier Wen Jiabao became the most senior Chinese official to visit the Pacific Islands. The Chinese Foreign Ministry denies this, saying China's assistance to Pacific Island countries is "genuine" and does not have "any political attachment." Days before the World Health Assembly meeting in May, ministers from 10 Pacific Island nations joined a video conference on Covid-19 convened by China. So far, there has been no publicly reported plan between the Pacific Islands and China for a similar travel bubble. In comparison, 124,939 Chinese tourists visited the Pacific Islands in 2018, a 10.9% decrease from the previous year.

Source: CNN June 27, 2020 00:32 UTC