US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and his Australian counterpart, Marise Payne, discussed on Tuesday shared concern over China's "malign activity" in the region, a state department official said.
Pompeo is in Japan for a meeting of the "Quad" grouping of foreign ministers: the United States, Japan, Australia and India. The meeting comes at a time of heightened tension with China.
"Secretary Pompeo and Foreign Minister Payne emphasised the importance of the Quad discussions to the promotion of peace, security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific," Principal Deputy Spokesperson Cale Brown said in a read-out following the meeting.
"The Secretary and the Foreign Minister also discussed their shared concerns regarding the People's Republic of China's malign activity in the region."