New Secretary of State Marco Rubio told China's foreign minister on Friday that the U.S. would put the American people first and promote U.S. interests in its relationship with Beijing.

Rubio -- long known as a Russia and China hawk in the Senate -- has been accused of dialing back his interventionist foreign policy approach to align with Trump's positions and may face fresh criticism from opponents who believe he might prioritize serving as a yes man to president over serving the country.