Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke with United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio by telephone on Friday, saying both sides should find the right way to get along in the new era.

This is the first known contact between the two top diplomats since Donald Trump was sworn in as US president on Monday.

Wang said President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart had an important discussion last Friday, pointing out the direction and setting the tone for bilateral relations.

The foreign minister said both sides should follow through on the important consensus reached by the two leaders.

Wang said Beijing and Washington should maintain communication, manage differences, expand cooperation based on the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, and promote the stable, healthy and sustainable development of China-US ties.

Wang also said China will never allow Taiwan to be separated from the motherland.

"The United States has made a solemn commitment to pursue the one-China policy in the three Sino-US joint communiques and must not break its promise,” he said.

Rubio, for his part, said Washington is willing to hold open discussions with Beijing, and that the US opposes "Taiwan independence". (Xinhua and agencies)