The United States said on Friday that it would seek improvements in China’s human rights record, including its treatment of ethnic minorities, during talks next week in the Asian nation.
The United States and China will hold an annual dialogue on human rights Tuesday and Wednesday in the southern city of Kunming, with the US delegation also visiting Beijing, the State Department said.
“The promotion of human rights remains a key tenet of US foreign policy, including toward China, and we are committed to continuing candid and in-depth discussion with the Chinese government on this issue,” State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said in a statement.
She said the US side planned to discuss issues including China’s treatment of ethnic minorities, freedom of religion and labour rights.
The two nations started the annual human rights dialogue in the wake of China’s 1989 clampdown on demonstrations in Tiananmen Square, although Beijing refused talks from 2002 to 2008 out of anger at US criticism.
Human rights advocates, while generally supportive of holding the dialogue, have been disappointed with the results and warn that China can use the talks to separate rights concerns from the rest of its relationship with Washington.