Watch part two

China's human rights record comes under the spotlight again, but has China become too powerful to be accountable for its human rights record? 

Critics of the growing economic giant say the US' dependency on China for its trade and foreign policy agendas has weakened Washington's ability to point fingers at Beijing.

Representatives from China's foreign ministry will meet on Thursday and Friday in Washington to discuss its record on free speech, religious rights and Internet freedom.

These are the first official human rights talks between the US and China since the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

China has previously criticised the US for meddling in its internal affairs under the pretext of improving human rights.

US arms sales to Taiwan and President Obama's meeting with the Dalai Lama raised tensions earlier this year, so are the resumption of talks a sign of improvement between the two nations.

On Thursday's Riz Khan show we ask, how is China trying to shed its reputation as a human rights violator, and how will the latest dialogue affect US-China relations?

Joining the programme from Beijing is Victor Gao, the director of the China National Association of International Studies. And in Washington we are joined by Harry Wu, a Chinese human rights activist who is the executive director of the Laogai Research Foundation, which raises public awareness about Chinese labour camps.

This episode of the Riz Khan show aired from Thursday, May 13, 2010.