China flexing its muscles in ways that ‘differ from Australia's interests'
Senator Wong is in Washington for a Quad summit with her Indian, Japanese and US counterparts.
The Quad is a partnership broadly seen as a check on China's economic and increasingly militaristic might.
Fronting media on Wednesday (AEST), Senator Wong said the four countries were under no illusions about the threats posed by China.
'China is a great power,' she told reporters in the US capital.
'It is asserting its influence using all aspects of national power.
'The challenge for Australia and for other countries is that … one can see where those interests differ from Australia's interests.'
Pacific power grabbing and threatening freedom of navigation are among Canberra's key grievances with Beijing.
The Albanese government has spent billions on countering China's efforts to boost its sway in the region, including by debt-trapping Australia's smaller Pacific neighbours.
The Chinese government has also stepped up military activity in the South China Sea and around the democratically self-governed island of Taiwan, threatening key shipping lanes that Australia depends upon.
'Certainly … China has interests, which it presses, which are not the same as our interests,' Senator Wong said.
'And we have to navigate that, and we do that and we have not stepped back as a government from those things where we disagree, but we will continue to engage.'
She repeated the Albanese government's mantra on China, saying 'we co-operate where we can, disagree where we must'.
Despite the tough words, Senator Wong said she and State Secretary Marco Rubio did not discuss Australia's defence spending.
The Trump administration last month requested the Albanese government hike the military budget to 3.5 per cent of GDP.
The demand ignited a furious debate that has somewhat poured cold water on Anthony Albanese's post-election high amid severe scrutiny over his relationship with Donald Trump.
'The issue of Australia's defence budget was not raised with me, either in the Quad or in my bilateral meeting,' Senator Wong said.
'What we did discuss is a number of areas of co-operation that we want to see more concrete outcomes … critical minerals is one of them, maritime security is another.'
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