Many countries in the region want to continue doing business while managing ties with China, the ex-prime minister says.

Mariko Oi will be joined by regular guests from across the region, including South East Asia correspondent Jonathan Head and China correspondent Laura Bicker

China and Australia on Monday sought to keep ties on an even keel despite tensions over military encounters in the South China Sea and rivalry in the Asia-Pacific region, with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese describing both sides as "friends".

With China dominating the global shipbuilding industry, and amid a port-fee dispute with Washington, the US president sees new strategic partnerships as critical.

The swing through Malaysia, Japan and South Korea is expected to test President Trump’s skills as a statesman and negotiator.

Chinese and US trade negotiators have lined up an array of diplomatic wins for Donald Trump and Xi Jinping to unveil at a summit this week. Those easy hits are pleasing investors, but leave deeper core conflicts unresolved.