Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held telephone talks on Friday.

China's Foreign Ministry says Wang said Beijing and Washington should maintain communication and promote the stable, healthy and sustainable development of China-US relations.

The ministry also says Wang explained Beijing's position that Taiwan is an integral part of China's territory, and asked the US to handle the issue with caution.

Wang reportedly said major countries should take on their international responsibilities and safeguard world peace. The remark is seen as a bid to keep in check the new US administration of President Donald Trump, who is taking an "America First" approach.

The Chinese side said Rubio expressed his willingness to engage in candid communication with Beijing.

Rubio has been known as a hardliner against China. Beijing has reportedly imposed sanctions on Rubio that bans him from entering the country.

However, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson told reporters after Trump's inauguration that high-ranking officials of both countries must maintain contact in an appropriate manner.

Meanwhile, the US State Department said on Friday that during the talks with Wang, Rubio emphasized that the Trump administration will pursue a US-China relationship that advances US interests and puts the American people first.

The department said Rubio also stressed the US's commitment to its allies in the region and expressed serious concern over "China's coercive actions against Taiwan and in the South China Sea."