Call for AUSMIN to cover economic issues

High level ministerial talks between Australia and the United States should be expanded to cover economic matters, after the US felt blindsided by a decision to lease Darwin port to a Chinese company.

The United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney released a report on Tuesday making the case for an economic dimension to the Australia-US Ministerial Consultations, saying this would in turn support the existing ANZUS treaty.

The Australian treasurer and the US Treasury Secretary should be included in the annual discussion involving defence and foreign affairs, it added.

Australia should also contribute to US deliberations responding to the rise of China.

"As a valued US ally with a unique regional perspective, Canberra should help Washington find ways to integrate China into the existing order, to increase China's stake in that order," the report says.