Australia-U.S. ministerial meeting begins in Sydney

United States Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Defence Secretary Mark Esper were welcomed to New South Wales parliament house on Sunday by their Australian counterparts ahead of the Australia-United States Ministerial Consultations (AUSMIN) meeting.

Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne and Defence Minister Linda Reynolds met their American counterparts, posing for a family photo as the group prepared to discuss global and regional issues. The meeting comes amid heightened Western concern about Chinese influence in the Pacific.