Human rights groups are pressing the United States to make human rights a "central" piece of upcoming discussions with China's vice president.

In an interview with Voice of America Thursday, Human Rights Watch head Kenneth Roth said he had a "candid and productive" exchange with U.S. Vice President Joe Biden on the topic.

Roth and three other rights activists urged Biden to focus on the larger picture of systemic human rights problems in China, rather than specific cases of individual political prisoners.

Roth said Biden agreed it was important. He says Biden told them the U.S.-China relationship must be based on the "truth" that human rights are "universal values", not western ones.

Biden will meet with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, next week when Xi visits the U.S.