Defence Minister Dong Jun has spoken with his US counterpart, Lloyd Austin, the first engagement the defence chiefs of the two countries have had in more than a year as Beijing and Washington seek to restore military ties.

The Defence Ministry cited Dong as telling Austin on the phone that China and the US should explore ways to "get along" and "gradually accumulate mutual trust" by building a "non-conflict, non-confrontation", pragmatic and cooperative relationship between their militaries.

Dong also said the US should recognise Beijing's position on the South China Sea, and respect China's territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests there. He also stressed that the Taiwan issue is "core of China's core interests".

"China and the US should... take peace as the most precious, stability as the most important," Dong told Austin, according to a ministry readout.

"The military sphere is the key... to stabilising the development of the relationship and preventing major crises from occurring," Dong added.

For his part, Austin "underscored the importance of respect for high seas freedom of navigation guaranteed under international law, especially in the South China Sea", according to the Pentagon.

The US said the two also discussed the Ukraine war, North Korea, and Washington's commitment to the one China policy.

The phone call comes as President Xi Jinping and his counterpart, Joe Biden, have sought to manage tensions; the two leaders last year agreed to resume direct military talks. (Reuters/AFP)