Mr Albanese's comments come as Defence Minister Richard Marles heads to the United States after holding talks with his British counterpart Ben Wallace, and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

Australia is set to unveil in March its plan to acquire nuclear-powered submarines through the tripartite security agreement between Canberra, London and Washington.

Mr Albanese told Sky News, the world was becoming more uncertain.

"Quite clearly Australia needs to be in a stronger position in the future than we find ourselves today," he said.

"That's why we're determined to upgrade our security ..."

The ABC is reporting Prime Minister Anthony Albanese could travel to the US to make the announcement in March, alongside President Joe Biden and Mr Sunak.

Mr Marles said the acquisition would change the Australia's international standing.

"It will dramatically build our capability and with that, it will build our sovereignty," he said after the Australian and UK foreign and defence ministers met in London.

"But the significance of Britain and America working together to help us have that technology is one which in international terms is also highly significant."

Beijing has ramped up its criticism of the AUKUS alliance and US posturing in the Indo-Pacific.

China's foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning attacked Australia's planned acquisition of submarines.

"The Asia-Pacific is an anchor for peace and development, not a chessboard for major-country rivalry. China is committed to upholding regional peace and stability," she said.

"We oppose anything that undermines the international nuclear non-proliferation regime. We think it's important to guard against the risk of nuclear proliferation and avoid stoking an arms race in the Asia-Pacific."

Mr Wallace said the AUKUS nations could potentially work on the design, development and construction of the submarines together.

But he noted the pathway forward, including how the build would occur, remained the decision of Australia's government.

"It's a joint endeavour. Whether that is the sharing of technology and the understanding of how to do it, the sharing of the build, or the sharing of the design," he said after the ministers' meeting.

"So, whatever option is chosen by Australia, it will be collaborative."

The UK minister of state for Indo-Pacific, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, said the submarines will help in patrolling the Indo-Pacific and securing trade routes.

"Free and fair trade work if the waterways are clear and safe," she said.

"A lot of the Royal Navy's job for several hundreds years was chasing pirates to allow those ships that want to move goods around to do so.

"So the Australian commitment to want to have a next generation of submarines, which they can help assure the region's security, is one that we are absolutely committed to helping."

Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Australia was acquiring the submarines "to contribute to a region that is stable, prosperous, peaceful and in which sovereignty is respected".

Opposition foreign affairs spokesman Simon Birmingham said he welcomed a defrosting of the bilateral relationship with China but maintained Australia needed to confront Beijing when it acts against international norms.

"It's much better for China with a change that seems to have been a lowering of the temperature of their so-called wolf warrior diplomacy," he told Sky News.

"These strategic challenges remain the same in terms of ensuring that China hears clear messages about the need to respect international rules and norms."

This particularly related to the freedom of navigation, he said.

Australian Associated Press