China acting like a bully: John McCain

Veteran US Senator John McCain has accused China of becoming a "bully" as it asserts its economic strength in the Asia Pacific region.

In a wide-ranging speech in Sydney on Tuesday, Senator McCain said he understood the debate in Australia about whether it should align itself more closely with China or the US.

But he said both Australia and the US needed to support China's reformers, so all in the region could compete on a level playing field.

However, he believes China had been throwing its weight around too much thanks to its development as an economic powerhouse.

"The challenge is China is acting more like a bully," he said.

Senator McCain said Australia and the US should stick together when dealing with economic and strategic issues involving China.