Australia won't host US missiles: PM Scott Morrison

US intermediate-rangemissileswill not be deployed inAustralia,PrimeMinisterScott Morrison said on Monday, after the United States revealed ambitions to sitemissilesin the Asia-Pacific region.

Officials from both governments held talks in Sydney over the weekend that ended with a joint statement in which the two allies pledged to strengthen opposition to Chinese activities in Asia-Pacific, as both sides have become increasingly concerned about China's spreading influence.

During the talks,US Defense Secretary Mark Esper spoke of hopes to deploymissilesin the Asia-Pacific region in the coming months following Washington's withdrawal from a landmark arms control treaty last week.

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Esper's comments prompted speculation thatAustraliahad been asked tohostthemissiles, but Morrison denied that any request had been made and saidAustraliawould decline if it was asked in the future.

"It's not been asked to us, not being considered, not been put to us. I think I the rule a line under that," Morrison told reporters in Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland.

A recent increase in tensions between Washington and Beijing, both over trade and rights of navigation in both the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait, has putAustraliain an awkward spot, as the United States is its biggest ally, while China is its biggest export market.

Beijing last week describedAustralian efforts to improve the bilateral relationship as "unsatisfactory".

Australiaworries China is using foreign aid to secure greater influence over small Pacific countries which control vast swathes of resource-rich ocean.

Australia, traditionally the major power in the South Pacific, has promised up to A$3 billion ($2.03 billion) in grants and cheap loans to counter what Washington describes as China's "payday loan diplomacy".