The international human rights group- Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged the U.S. president to make human rights issue as the central point at the summit scheduled to be held on June 7 and 8 in California between him and his Chinese Counterpart Xi Jinping.
The rights group said that the Chinese president had formally assumed the presidency with grand rhetoric for rights reforms in the country, but continued its policy of detaining and arresting the dissidents without addressing the plights of the opponents.
"Xi Jinping's rhetoric suggests he and the government is feeling some heat of public pressure for change, yet the central leadership appears to have ruled out any fundamental reforms," said Sophie Richardson, China director at Human Rights Watch. "The US government can help reinforce rights-related reform by bolstering the voices of Chinese people on the ground."
The international rights group said the Obama administration's public diplomacy in support of human rights has been weak in recent months.
"In his first visit to China as Secretary of State, in April 2013, Secretary John Kerry's public discussion of human rights included only a reference to having raised individual cases," said the group. "Despite a commitment to a "whole of government" approach to human rights, it remains unclear whether or what specific human rights issues were raised publicly or privately by other senior American officials, such as Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, Tom Donilon, or General Martin Dempsey, during their recent visits to China."
China director at Human Rights Watch urged the U.S. president to stand in solidarity with ordinary Chinese people and support their fight for rights in the country.
"The yearning for social justice is more acute in China than ever before," said Richardson. "President Obama can choose to stand in solidarity with ordinary Chinese people and support their struggle. Otherwise his silence could be taken as consent for the Chinese government's continued repression."
The group also signaled that the "summit at California is a good chance" for the U.S. president to reverse the course, and let China know that U.S. will not compromise its principles of human rights over business issues with the Beijing government.
"President Obama should reverse course on sending lukewarm signals on basic rights to the Chinese government," said Richardson. "Many of these issues, such as an independent judiciary, the free flow of information, and the freedom of expression, underpin key diplomatic, economic, and strategic issues in the bilateral relationship."