Kerry is expected to hold talks with Xie Zhenhua, China's special representative on climate affairs, in the first trip to the Asian country by a senior official of the administration of US President Joe Biden, who took office in January.

As Biden has vowed to make tackling climate change a top priority of his administration, the special presidential envoy is expected to seek ways to cooperate with China, the world's top carbon dioxide emitter.

The meeting will come before Biden holds a virtual summit on April 22-23 to discuss climate affairs with world leaders including Chinese President Xi Jinping, having reversed his predecessor Donald Trump's decision to pull out of the Paris Agreement.

Kerry and Zhenhua have already communicated ahead of their planned meeting, according to the sources.

The United States, the second-largest emitter, wants to work with China in combating global warming despite heightened tensions between the two countries over Beijing's treatment of the Muslim Uyghur minority in the Xinjiang region as well as actions concerning Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Kerry, a former secretary of state, made a trip last week to India, also a major carbon dioxide emitting country, to boost efforts in addressing climate change including progress toward the emissions reduction target under the Paris accord.

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