US climate envoy Kerry likely to travel to China next week amid escalating tensions

US climate envoy John Kerry is expected to travel to China next week in an attempt to collaborate on the issue of climate change amid deepening tensions between Washington and Beijing.

According to The Washington Post, Kerry is expected to travel to Shanghai for meetings with Chinese officials, according to people familiar with the situation.

The trip, less than a month after a face-to-face meeting between senior Chinese and US diplomats in Alaska ended in traded diatribes and insults, would be the first official visit to China by a top Biden administration official.

However, a spokesman from US State Department said it does not have any "travel plan to announce at this time." China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not respond to questions about the potential visit.

The Washington Post further reported that Kerry planned to meet with his Chinese counterpart Xie Zhenhua, China's special climate envoy, according to one US official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive visit, which could still be called off. Kerry and Xie have already started discussions, according to the State Department.

"The trip underlines the Biden administration's efforts to collaborate with -- as well as compete against -- China as the two sides clash over human rights, trade practices and security while competing for global influence," according to the news outlet.

In India last week, Kerry said he was "hopeful" but "not confident" that he could count on China's cooperation.

Under the Trump administration, ties between the two countries had deteriorated over issues such as human rights violations in Xinjiang, encroachment on the special status of Hong Kong, accusations of unfair trade practices by Beijing, lack of transparency concerning the pandemic and China's military aggression in various parts of the world.

( With inputs from ANI )