Prime Minister Scott Morrison is doubling down on his calls for China to be treated like a grown-up on the world stage, after spending three days showing off his close personal relationship with US President Donald Trump.
And he says the whole world - the United States included - has to pull together again on making sure trading rules work for everyone.
In the major set-piece of his week-long travels around the US, Mr Morrison told the Chicago Institute for Global Affairs, a new set of rules is needed to govern the evolving economic world order.
"It is clear that global trade rules are no longer fit for purpose," he said.
"In some cases, the rules were designed for another era, one that no longer exists, in other cases, our rules are not comprehensive enough."
"And it is clear that our rules are not keeping pace with technological change that is happening at an unprecedented pace."
"But we do need the rules. We do need the rules."
He said China's growth and participation in the world was vital to Australia, but it must proceed under the trading rules that apply to all world nations
"China's economic growth is welcomed by Australia and we recognise the economic maturity that it has now realised as a newly developed economy," he said.
"This was the point of the world's economic engagement with China."
"But now it has matured, China must take up the responsibilities that go with being a world power, including addressing environmental challenges and staying transparent in their partnerships and aid for developing countries," he said.
Equally, he said global institutions had to adjust their settings to recognise China's new status.
The prime minister reminded the audience that US strategic engagement in an international community that built the global trading system was what underwrote China's economic expansion
"We must demonstrate that collectively we have not lost the ability to adapt and adjust our trading system to new realities," he said.
President Donald Trump Prime Minister Scott Morrison and billionaire businessman Anthony Pratt. Source: AAP
He reflected on a former director-general saying the WTO was like "a vehicle that had one accelerator and 143 brakes".
"We cannot allow that to continue," Mr Morrison said.
"We can no longer move at the speed of the lowest common denominator. It is time for the system to catch up with the world."
The US has come under fire from some quarters for stymieing efforts to modernise the WTO rules.
Earlier in the year, the US Trade Representative said it would be futile to try and change WTO rules to rein in China.
Mr Morrison's visit - on which he has been lauded as a "man of titanium", a "great gentleman" and a very good friend by Mr Trump - is playing out against a backdrop of trade tensions between China and the US and strategic pressures to temper the Asian giant's rising influence in the Indo-Pacific.
While he has travelled extensively in the 13 months since taking on the leadership, Mr Morrison is alone in all the prime ministers since John Howard in not being invited to visit China.
He has urged Mr Trump publicly and privately to look for a speedy end to the trade tensions.
However, the president indicated alongside Mr Morrison on Friday that he's not fussed if no deal is struck until after he faces American voters in November 2020.
In his Chicago speech, Mr Morrison again touched on the themes of Australia being a winner - with a record 29 years of economic growth - and a partner that pulls its weight, which have featured throughout his American visit.
And he adapted his "have a go to get a go" mantra to align with the words of his political idol, former president Theodore Roosevelt.
