Washington | Australia’s AUKUS alliance with the US and Britain, amid a broader improvement in Washington’s relationship with its allies, causes “heartburn” for China’s leader Xi Jinping, according to the White House co-ordinator for the Indo-Pacific.

Kurt Campbell, the “Asia tsar” who sat by President Joe Biden’s side during his four-hour meeting on Monday (Tuesday AEDT) with Mr Xi, said the Chinese President was particularly rattled by the idea that the US was building “Cold War-like” alliances.