SYDNEY: China, climate change, strategic competition in the Pacific, and the AUKUS nuclear submarine project, will be the focus of talks between Australia-US defense and foreign ministers this week, the US top diplomat to Australia said on Tuesday. Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Defense Minister Richard Marles held meetings in Washington on Monday, a day before the annual AUSMIN talks in Annapolis, Marylands, with Marles highlighting the expanding role of a US Marine rotational force in northern Australia and defense industry cooperation.