WASHINGTON, March 13: Secretary of State Colin Powell spoke with his Chinese counterpart on Friday to highlight US disappointment with China's human rights practices amid strong hints that Washington would sponsor a resolution condemning Beijing's "record" at an upcoming UN meeting.

The conversation with Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing came on the eve of the United Nations Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) meeting in Geneva beginning on Monday at which the controversial resolution could be tabled.

The US House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a bill recently urging the government to propose the resolution against China, which has come under fire recently from various groups for backsliding on its rights record.-AFP