Australia is joining a "regional arms race" and risks putting itself in the middle of a "proxy war" between the United States and China, Greens leader Richard Di Natale says in his first major foreign policy speech.

Senator Di Natale will tell the Lowy Institute on Tuesday that Australia should stop orientating its world view around the US alliance given "the horrific consequences of US foreign policy".

Greens leader Richard Di Natale will tell the Lowy Institute that Australia should stop orientating its world view around the US alliance. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

In a sustained attack on the alliance, Senator Di Natale says that by consistently backing Washington, "Australia is complicit in the terrible consequences US foreign policy has wrought".

According to speech notes provided by his office, he says Australia is "throwing enormous sums of money" at maintaining the alliance through the increased spending in the Defence white paper which includes the construction of a new fleet of 12 submarines.