France, Australia Call On China To Observe Rules

French President Emmanuel Macron and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull on Wednesday issued a reminder to China to respect a "rules-based" order in the South Pacific amid concerns about Beijing's growing influence in the region.

Macron also stepped up his calls for the renegotiation of the Iran nuclear agreement, regardless of the outcome of the May 12 deadline for President Donald Trump to decide whether to abandon the deal and reimpose sanctions against the country.

Macron's comments came during a three-day visit to Australia, during which the two nations signed a range of agreements, including a pact to strengthen defence ties.

Macron and Turnbull did not specifically confirm they discussed China during their Sydney meetings. But when asked about Beijing's South Pacific push at a joint news conference, the two leaders were eager to stress the need for lawful development in the area.

"China's rise is very good news for everybody. It's good for China itself, its middle classes, and it's good for global growth, and regional growth," Macron said. "What's important is to preserve a rules-based development in the region, especially in the Indo-Pacific region, and to preserve the necessary balances In the region."

"And it's important not to have any hegemony in the region," he said.

Turnbull said the economic rise of China was made possible "by a ruled-based order in our region".

"We welcome further Chinese investment in our region. We welcome the benefits of the growth of China. But of course we are committed to the maintenance of the rules-based international order, to good governance, strong standards, that will enable us all to continue this remarkable arc of prosperity that has been enabled by that rule of law," Turnbull said.

Turnbull cited an oft-used quote from former Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kwan Yew in pushing for mutual respect among nations in Asia, saying "big fish cannot eat little fish, and little fish cannot eat shrimps". (AP)