THE newly re-elected Obama administration has signalled that it is unhappy with the Gillard government's cuts to Australia's defence spending and will take it up at cabinet level next week.

The US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, was ''very excited'' to be meeting the Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, next week in Perth, her top Asia official, Kurt Campbell, told Fairfax Media.

It is probably her final visit to Australia in her present post.

And while Dr Campbell said he was ''very pleased with the trajectory'' of the alliance, he said the cuts to Australian defence spending were a matter of concern that the US would raise at the annual AUSMIN ministerial meeting between the two nations.