Q+A - Chinese human rights and the Obama visit

By Chris Buckley

BEIJING (Reuters) - Human rights are one of the most contentious issues in U.S.-China relations that will come up during President Barack Obama's four-day visit to China. Here are some questions and answers about Chinese human rights and how the topic is likely to play out during his visit.

WHY IS HUMAN RIGHTS SUCH A CONTENTIOUS ISSUE?

The United States has a tradition of pressing other states, especially communist ones, about their restrictions on citizens' political, legal and religious rights.

Communist Party-ruled China has been a focus of such criticism from the White House, Congress and U.S. organisations, especially since 1989 when the Chinese army crushed student-led demonstrations for democracy centred on Beijing's Tiananmen Square.

In the United States, China's rights record can galvanise conservatives and liberals, religious groups, lawyers, and trade unionists, making for potent coalitions.

China has long rejected U.S. criticism as meddling and Cold War-style subversion. It has also honed counter-arguments: that the United States is hypocritical, that China is committed to its own version of human rights, and that providing basic subsistence and economic development takes priority over political rights.

The resulting friction can be volatile because U.S. criticisms can overlap with worries about Chinese trade policies, mutual distrust over military intentions, and Chinese fears Washington is bent on overturning Communist Party rule.