The Turnbull government has distanced itself from a central theme of the Trump administration's new national defence strategy, which defines growing Russian and Chinese military might as greater threats than terrorism.

The American strategic outlook, unveiled earlier this month by Defence Secretary Jim Mattis, elevates "inter-state strategic competition" as the administration's primary focus and outlines Russia and China as revisionist powers seeking to challenge the US, undermine free and open economies, grow their militaries and "shape a world consistent with their authoritarian model".

But Foreign Minister Julie Bishop on Monday said neither country posed a military threat to Australia – a statement at odds with an earlier response from Defence Minister Marise Payne, who said Australia shared "similar concerns" to those expressed in the US defence strategy.

"We have a different perspective on Russia and China, clearly. We do not see Russia or China as posing a military threat to Australia," Ms Bishop told Sky News.