Australia won't be trade war 'bystander': Scomo

Australians cannot be "passive bystanders" as the United States and China work through their trade differences, Scott Morrison has warned.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks at the Asialink Address in Sydney, Wednesday, June 26, 2019. Source: AAP

"We should not just sit back and passively await our fate in the wake of a major power contest," the prime minister will tell a Bloomberg event in Sydney on Wednesday.

"This underestimates and gives up on the power of human, state and multilateral agency.

"There are practical steps that we can pursue. So we will play our part. We will not be passive bystanders."