Kuala Lumpur | Foreign Minister Penny Wong says Australians are right to be concerned about the military threat posed by China, as the world’s second-largest economy seeks to bolster its military presence in Asia and the Pacific.

“I understand why people feel unsettled. I understand why people feel nervous at a time of change, so we have to act with confidence, with clarity and a sense of purpose,” Senator Wong told reporters in Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.