US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has raised the prospect of Australia joining the US, Japan and India in a powerful strategic alliance to promote "a free and open Indo-Pacific".
Mr Tillerson, in a speech and question-and-answer session at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC on Wednesday, described threats faced in the region from cyber attacks, North Korea and China's provocative and undermining actions.
America was benefiting from a US-Japan-India trilateral agreement, but he said there "is room to invite" Australia to anchor the relationship between the democratic nations.
"There's an important part of the South Pacific that also we think needs an important pinpoint as well," Mr Tillerson said.
"Australia, another very strong and important strategic partner, ally to the US, has fought in every war and has fought alongside us.
"In every battle we've ever fought, the Australians have been there with us."
Mr Tillerson said the US seeks constructive relations with China, but the Asian power had undermined the international, rules-based order including provocative actions in the South China Sea that directly challenged international law and norms.
He also accused China of predatory economics by offering fledgling democracies and emerging economies financing mechanisms that saddled them with enormous levels of debt.
Australia could strengthen the Indo-Pacific "security architecture" that the US-Japan-India trilateral agreement already had in place.
"It is about this Indo-Pacific free and open policy that we have, and how do we pin that in the proper places with our strongest, most important allies, and how do we strengthen those in this multi-party arrangement?" he asked.
"India-Australia relations, how can they be strengthened?
"It has to be in everyone's interest, obviously.
"India has to see it in their interest.
"Japan has to see it in their interest."
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