Australia won't be "showboating" over the treatment of Muslims in China, with Scott Morrison promising to raise any concerns privately instead.
China has been under fire for putting Uighur Muslims in re-education camps, with at least three Australians held in the facilities.
Mr Morrison plans to meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping when he goes to APEC in Port Moresby or the G20 in Buenos Aires.
"We always raise any concerns that we have, particularly about human rights issues," Mr Morrison told Sky News on Monday.
"We do that privately, we do that directly when we do these things. We don't get into showboating about these things."
Mr Morrison also said Australia was not going to agitate over China's claim over the South China Sea, but noted the government's position on freedom of navigation rights in the waterway had not changed.
The prime minister will fly to Singapore for the East Asia Summit on Tuesday, before meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Darwin, and then travelling to Papua New Guinea for APEC.
