Australia not a threat to China: Turnbull

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull insists Australia speaks with its own voice in China and is not simply a client state of the US.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull believes Australia is not seen as a threat by China. (AAP)

Australia is not seen as a threat by China because we're not regarded as a superpower, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull believes.

He was responding to comments by Australia's first ambassador to China Stephen Fitzgerald who argued the country is seen as a client state of the US.

But Mr Turnbull told ABC radio on Friday: "We have a very, very clear and distinct identity in Asia".