'Beijing, Washington Should Seek Common Ground'

Beijing and Washington should play a major role in promoting the recovery of the global economy, a People’s Daily commentary published on Wednesday said, ahead of an expected visit by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken to the mainland.

The editorial pointed out that the US is unable to let go of its “obsession” with treating Beijing as a strategic competitor, leading to strained relations between the two countries.

“It is the general hope of the international community that China and the United States can work together to find a way to get along, add stability to a turbulent world, promote the post-pandemic global economic recovery, respond to climate change and solve regional issues,” it said.

US officials early on Wednesday said Blinken will discuss Russia's military offensive in Ukraine with Beijing officials during a February 5-6 trip to the mainland.

White House national security spokesman John Kirby told reporters Blinken will seek to get talks on issues, such as the two countries' militaries and climate change "restored and/or revitalised".

"I know he's looking forward to being able to addressing all of those issues and of course the war in Ukraine will be among those issues that we can expect the secretary to bring up while he's there," Kirby said.

In November, President Xi Jinping and his US counterpart, Joe Biden, pledged to increase communication when they met in Indonesia. (Additional reporting by Reuters)