Boosting Australia-US Ties: Australian Prime Minister to visit Washington this week

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Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is preparing for high-level talks with President Trump in Washington, DC later this week. Topics include strengthening a long-standing defense alliance, and increasing trade. The trip will also give Turnbull a much needed break from mounting problems back home. Our correspondent Greg Navarro has more from Sydney.

When Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull heads to Washington, DC later this week, analysts say he'll be spreading an important message.

STEWART JACKSON LECTURER, UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY "It's attempting to signal that Australia is a friend of the United States. It's trying to say that major trade should be with the US."

Turnbull says the visit will celebrate the 100 years of friendship between the two countries, which has developed into a strong security alliance.

DOUGAL ROBINSON US STUDIES CENTRE, UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY "Australia is the only US ally to have fought alongside the US in every major conflict since WWI."

Dougal Robinson is a research fellow at the University of Sydney's US Studies Centre. He says the official bilateral meeting will help to accomplish two goals for the Trump Administration. To smooth over any doubts about the relationship raised after a contentious phone call between the two leaders last year over a refugee exchange deal.

"I said why, why are we doing this, what is the purpose?"

And to further that security alliance. Turnbull's trip will include a meeting with US Secretary of Defence James Mattis who visited Sydney last year.

DOUGAL ROBINSON US STUDIES CENTRE, UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY "The United States is re-evaluating its foreign policy priorities especially in Asia. It has recently launched both the national security strategy and the national defence strategy and they outline a much more competitive US-China relationship and Australia is seen as a key push in Asia, it is a very close US ally."

Turnbull's trip will also give the Prime Minister a break from facing questions here at home - over the well publicised feud with his Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce.

MALCOLM TURNBULL AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTER "Barnaby has acknowledged his fault, his error, his grief, his conduct, he has to consider his own position obviously."

Joyce was publicly reprimanded by Turnbull last week over the handling of an affair he had with a staff member. Despite growing calls for Joyce to resign, he fought back.

BARNABY JOYCE AUSTRALIAN DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER "This was a personal issue, a personal issue that being dragged into public arena. And I don't believe people should be resigning in any job over personal issues."

GREG NAVARRO SYDNEY "Malcolm Turnbull will be bringing what's being described as the most senior business delegation ever to the US, including the heads from very successful Australia companies and state leaders."

They're hoping to increase bilateral trade between the two countries - worth more than $40 billion AUD between 2016 and 2017. It's a point Turnbull is expected to push when he speaks at the National Governors Association toward the end of his US trip. Greg Navarro, CGTN, Sydney.