In a telephone call with Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Rubio "emphasized the importance of open and constructive communication on a range of bilateral issues," the State Department said without few specifics.

Rubio as a senator was known for his tough line on China and in his confirmation hearing warned of an all-out global struggle to prevent Beijing from outpacing the United States as the pre-eminent global power.

But Rubio had a cordial meeting with Wang in July in Malaysia, and Trump has spoken highly of his relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping and voiced hope for visiting soon.

Trump nonetheless recently suggested that he will hike tariffs on China, as he has with India, over its purchases of oil from Russia, which has defied the US leader's appeals for a ceasefire in its invasion of Ukraine.

Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un were among attendees last week at a major parade presided over by Xi to mark 80 years since the end of World War II, leading Trump to accuse the three of conspiring against the United States.