China says it will hold a new round of human rights talks with the United States next week.

The exchanges have become a regular fixture in China-US relations along with recurring economic and policy dialogues. But they haven't produced any significant narrowing of differences on human rights.

After talks in April last year, a U.S. envoy described the meetings as respectful but unproductive.

A duty officer with the Foreign Ministry said Friday that the two-day talks would begin Monday in Washington, D.C.

Beijing defines human rights primarily in terms of improving living conditions for its 1.3 billion people. It maintains strict controls over free speech, religion, and political activity - restrictions that the U.S. considers human rights violations.

Beijing says Washington's criticisms of China's human rights record amount to meddling.