China has put Tibetan activist writers including well-known authors Tsering Woeser and husband Wang Lixiong on house arrest, ahead of U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry's visit to Beijing.

Tsering, an International Women of Courage Awardee, said that she and husband Wang had been detained by state officials and prevented from leaving their home after she received a call from the U.S. embassy inviting her to dinner to meet with a U.S. official.

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"I was on the road when they called and didn't realize Kerry would be visiting, but found out later he would be in China," she told media.

When she asked state officials why she and her husband had been detained, state officials had said the reason was "secret."

Tsering believes that the house arrest is an attempt by the government to prevent a meeting with Kerry and other members of the U.S. delegation.

The couple has been on house arrest since Tuesday.

The U.S. has expressed concern over the news of the house arrests, said U.S. state department Jen Psaki during a briefing in Washington.

Psaki showed that another International Women of Courage Awardee had also been put on house arrest and prevented from attending the embassy dinner. The other detained woman's name was not revealed.

She added that the U.S. is "looking into the matter" and why the writers had been detained.

Kerry and U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew have been in Beijing since Wednesday for annual talks with the Chinese government.

According to a senior U.S. official, Kerry had brought up the issue of human rights during a meeting with senior Chinese officials on Wednesday.

"He described our perception of a trend in China, with an increase in arrests and an increase in harassment of individuals who are expressing political views," said the U.S. official.

Detaining and placing activists under house arrest is not an unusual occurrence in China, especially when important events, anniversaries and state visits come up.

Last month, a number of lawyers and activists were detained by state officials ahead of the Tiananmen Square 25^th anniversary.

TagsTsering Woeser, Wang Lixiong, International Women of Courage Award, Jack Lew, John Kerry, Kerry visit to China, human rights issues, China's human rights issue, house arrest, Chinese activist