Biden scraps Australia, Papua New Guinea visit to focus on debt limit talks

US President Joe Biden is scrapping planned visits to Australia and Papua New Guinea after the G7 summit in Japan to instead focus on talks in Washington on the nation's debt limit, the White House said.

"President Biden will return to the United States on Sunday, following the completion of the G7 summit, in order to be back for meetings with Congressional leaders to ensure that Congress takes action by the deadline to avert a default," said spokesperson Karine Jean-Pierre in a statement on Tuesday.

Biden will depart on Wednesday for Hiroshima, Japan for the summit.

"I'm postponing the Australia portion of the trip and my stop in Papua New Guinea in order to be back for the final negotiations with congressional leaders," Biden said at the start of a Jewish American Heritage Month event at the White House.

Jean-Pierre said Biden spoke to Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese earlier in the day to inform that he will be postponing his trip to Australia. He invited Albanese for an official state visit at a time to be agreed on by their teams.

During his visit to Australia, Biden had been scheduled to attend a meeting of the so-called Quad partnership comprising the US, Australia, India and Japan.

Biden's team also engaged with Papua New Guinea Prime Minister James Marape's team to inform them as well, according to the White House.

"The President has made clear that members of Congress from both parties and chambers must come together to prevent a default, as they have 78 times before. The President and his team will continue to work with the Congressional leadership to deliver a budget agreement that can reach the President’s desk," said the statement.

"Revitalising and reinvigorating our alliances and advancing partnerships like the Quad remains a key priority for the President. This is vital to our ability to advance our foreign policy goals and better promote global stability and prosperity," said the statement.

"We look forward to finding other ways to engage with Australia, the Quad, Papua New Guinea and the leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum in the coming year," it added.

After the latest negotiations ended without a breakthrough, Republican House speaker Kevin McCarthy told reporters there was still "a lot of work to do" to break the high-stakes standoff with Biden over the borrowing limit.