Currently, the local transmission of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has been effectively contained in China; however, the epidemic situation of this highly infectious disease is more and more serious outside of China. Importation of COVID-19 cases from other countries and territories is therefore becoming a new challenge for the control of COVID-19 in China. Malaria was once widely epidemic in China. Nevertheless, the local transmission of this parasitic disease has been interrupted in China since the launch of the national malaria elimination programme in 2010, and great successes have been achieved in the management of appropriately 3 thousand malaria cases imported from other countries and territories annually. Hereby, the epidemiological characteristics and current epidemic situation of COVID-19 in China were analyzed and compared with malaria. Based on the successful experiences from the management of overseas imported malaria in China, the strategy and countermeasures for COVID-19 control were proposed, so as to provide insights into the response to the importation of COVID-19 from other countries and territories and the consolidation of the control achievements in China.