US President Joe Biden and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison discussed how they can work together to deal with China and a recent military coup in Myanmar, the White House said on Thursday.

The first call between the leaders since Biden's inauguration comes amid heightened tension between Australia and China and just days after Myanmar’s military seized power in a coup against the democratically elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

The strength of the US-Australia alliance "remains an anchor of stability in the Indo-Pacific and the world," the White House said in an emailed statement.

Morrison declined to give details...