Tuesday's Quad meeting will be a major test for Australia's new prime minister, Anthony Albanese, who is attending the summit less than a week after taking office.

Speaking in his first news conference as prime minister, he said his government would stand up for Australian values and he singled out China.

Albanese said, "Well, what I have said and we maintain is that the relationship with China will remain a difficult one. I said that before the election, that has not changed."

Albanese's platform focused heavily on reforming Australia's climate change policies... an issue he is expected to bring to the Quad.

The prime minister also said, "So the meetings that we will have, not just with the United States but importantly with our hosts in Japan and India, are going to be very important in a good way to send a message to the world that there's a new government in Australia."

Albanese also made it clear that while Australia's government may have changed, his country's close relationship with the US has not.

He and US President Joe Biden spoke by phone ahead of the Quad talks.

Albanese described his chat with Biden as "very fruitful and positive."