IB2020/2 Growing Academic Interest in the Pacific-Pacific research centers in China

China’s diplomatic activities in the Pacific, which include President Xi Jinping’s visit to Papua New Guinea (PNG) in November 2018 and the third China–Pacific Islands Countries (PICs) Economic Development and Cooperation Forum held in Samoa in October 2019, have received substantial attention in Australia. In stark contrast, China’s fast-growing academic interest in the Pacific is scarcely discussed. This In Brief introduces the main Pacific research centres in China and offers a new angle to understand China’s diplomacy towards the region.