Shorten meets US Vice-President Pence

US Vice President Mike Pence has begun talks with Opposition Leader Bill Shorten after earlier reassuring Australians that the relationship between the two countries was rock solid.

Mr Shorten met Mr Pence for talks at Sydney's Intercontinental Hotel where the vice president will later meet Australian and American business leaders.

Mr Shorten said Mr Pence's two-day visit to Sydney was timely.

"My party values the alliance. It's a point of common policy between the government and the opposition that the American alliance is a bedrock of our foreign policy," he said.

"We are very interested, of course, as a new administration on your thoughts on a range of issues."

Earlier, Mr Pence reassured Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull that the relationship with the US and Australia was rock solid as the pair held bilateral talks on a range of issues including the security threat posed by North Korea.

One of Mr Pence's main goals during his whirlwind visit to Sydney is to smooth any ruffled feathers following the now notorious phone call between US President Donald Trump and Mr Turnbull in January.