Michelle Bachelet, the United Nations Commissioner for Human Rights will visit China in May.

China, which has long held open an invitation, said it welcomed the announcement.

"We expect the High Commissioner and her Office to respect the sovereignty of all countries as well as the human rights and development path independently chosen by countries in light of their national conditions, promote dialogue and cooperation, and make joint efforts to make global human rights governance more fair, just, reasonable and inclusive," China's representative at the UN in Geneva, Chen Xu said in a statement.

Bachelet's visit will include the region of Xinjiang, where the U.S. and some other countries have said China is abusing the rights of ethnic minorities. China has repeatedly rebutted the accusations and says it is focused on improving the lives and wellbeing of all its people.