Donald Trump's lack of interest in the Pacific means Australia may increasingly need to stand on its own against China, experts warn.

As Prime Minister Anthony Albanese prepares for his first formal sit-down with the US President, he faces a challenging set of circumstances: an unpredictable White House and frequent attempts at covert influence from Beijing.

Asked about Mr Trump's attitude towards the Pacific, Papua New Guinea analyst Oliver Nobetau is blunt.

"I don't think he really cares," the head of the Lowy Institute's AUS-PNG network told AAP.

"For us, our agenda is to try and continually remind him that we do exist."

Australia is trying to navigate a delicate strategic path, keeping Pacific nations on side, without upsetting the US president too much.

Mr Trump used his speech

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