US Vice-President Mike Pence meets with Malcolm Turnbull in Sydney

U-S Vice President Mike Pence says that President Donald Trump wanted him to make an early visit to Australia to reaffirm the value of the alliance. Mr Pence and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull are holding talks in Sydney today.

U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, left, shakes hands with Australia's Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull at Admiralty House in Sydney Source: Reuters

Source: SBS

They are expected to focus on trade and regional security amid disputes in the South China Sea and tension on the Korean peninsula

Mr Pence says he spoke with Donald Trump this morning about the visit. "I spoke to him first thing and he wanted me to pass along his very best regards to you and the president wanted me to be here early in this administration to reaffirm the strong and historic alliance between the United States of America and Australia."

Australia is Mr Pence's fourth stop on a 10-day tour of U-S allies in the Asia-Pacific region that has included a series of roundtables with business executives in South Korea, Japan, and Indonesia.

Australia's relationship with the new administration in Washington got off to a rocky start when Mr Trump lambasted Mr Turnbull over a refugee resettlement arrangement that Mr Trump labelled a "dumb" deal.