That's the view of the Forum's trade commissioner to China, David Morris, who was on a Forum trip to China last month.
The Forum delegation was led by secretary general Dame Meg Taylor, who said they wanted to develop a deeper and more dynamic relationship.
Mr Morris said they met with key officials, particularly in Guangzhou which had links with the Pacific going back more than 100 years.
He said better links with China were fundamentally important for the Pacific.
