Scott Morrison says Australia 'prepared to do the heavy lifting' as he prepares to meet Trump

Scott Morrison has declared Australia is a partner the United States “can rely on” in an era of geopolitical complexity and strategic competition as he departs for a week long visit to America, beginning with a meeting with Donald Trump at the White House.

Morrison will depart Australia on Thursday for a visit that will include a state dinner with Trump in Washington and meetings with senior members of the administration, including the vice-president, Mike Pence, the secretary of state, Mike Pompeo, and the secretary of defence, Mark Esper.

The state dinner on Friday night, Washington time, is the first offered to an Australian prime minister since the Howard era, and Trump will also accompany Morrison on a side visit to a new Australian-owned paper recycling mill in Ohio owned by the billionaire box maker Anthony Pratt.

The key speech of the trip will be delivered by Morrison at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs after the Washington program, and the visit will wind up with a contribution at the 74th regular session of the general assembly at the United Nations.

Ahead of Thursday’s departure, Morrison told parliament we were at a point in history where no country could take their allies for granted. “In a complex world, in a complicated world, a world of strategic competition, a world of great uncertainties – our partners and our allies are of great importance.”

He said Australia was a partner America could rely on, “a partner that pulls their weight in the alliance”. Morrison said he had a good personal relationship with Trump but the alliance was “far more than that”.

The prime minister said Australia’s decision to contribute to a US-led mission in the Strait of Hormuz aimed at protecting freedom of navigation in the Gulf region demonstrated that Australia is “always prepared to do the heavy lifting when it comes to our alliance partnerships”.

Regional tensions have escalated since drones and cruise missiles were launched against major Saudi oil facilities on Saturday, with the US insisting Iran is responsible.

Morrison said it was critically important for Australia to work with America to secure peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. While the Trump administration has noticeably stepped up the diplomatic welcome for Australia since Morrison won the election in May, the government is yet to secure an invitation to visit Beijing.

Asked whether Morrison would use the Washington visit to raise Australia’s concerns about the damaging economic impact of the trade tensions between Washington and Beijing, the trade minister, Simon Birmingham, said Australia had been “honest” in its feedback both publicly and privately.

Birmingham said Australia shared some of America’s concerns about the protection of intellectual property “but we don’t believe unilateral tariff hikes are a positive way to address these issues and … we would wish to see the type of dialogue that can resolve those disputes and restore confidence into the global economy”.