Foreign Affairs Minister Nanaia Mahuta is set to travel to the Pacific, days after revelations the Solomon Islands is negotiating a security deal with China.
The draft agreement, leaked online, would allow Beijing to station military forces on the islands and make regular ship visits.
The New Zealand and Australian governments have expressed concern at the development.
Former Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters has accused the government of neglecting the Pacific and says his successor should have visited the region sooner.
Watch the PM talking to Morning Report: