WASHINGTON - China and the United States will establish a bilateral consultation on regional affairs to maintain peace and prosperity, officials announced Tuesday.

The senior officials from the Chinese Foreign Ministry and the US State Department plan to meet this year to work out the details, Chinese Vice-Foreign Minister Zhang Zhijun said.

The third round of the China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED) touched on the regional and international security issues and concluded with several decisions to enhance the strategic trust.

The two sides also announced the establishment of the Strategic Security Dialogue (SSD) under the Strategic Track of the S&ED with the participation of the military officials.

The inaugural round of the SSD has been held this time in a "candid and constructive" atmosphere, according to the joint statement.

The purpose of the security dialogue is to "enhance the mutual understanding, promote the strategic trust, explore the opportunities of cooperation and narrow differences", Zhang said.

During the two-day dialogue, the vice-minister and People's Liberation Army Deputy Chief of the General Staff General Ma Xiaotian met with US Deputy Secretary of State James Steinberg, Under Secretary of Defense Michle Flournoy, Vice-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General James Cartwright, Assistant Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and Admiral Robert Willard.

"For the first time in these dialogues, senior military and defense leaders from both sides sat down face to face in an effort to further our understanding, to develop trust and avoid misunderstandings that can lead to dangerous miscalculations," US State Secretary Hillary Clinton said at the joint briefing. "This new strategic security dialogue is a very important step forward, and we think it will add immeasurably to our bilateral relationship."

US analysts said the two announcements major breakthroughs in the strategic cooperation between China and the US will help the two countries boost their bilateral relationship.

"The message is clear: if China and the United States can cooperate on these two most sensitive and crucial areas, they can enhance their confidence in cooperating in almost all other areas," said Cheng Li, director of research and senior fellow of foreign policy at the Brookings Institution.

Bonnie Glaser, a security expert with at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the new consultation on the Asia-Pacific affairs fills the gap of bilateral exchanges on regional issues.

"The US and China have had sub-dialogues on virtually every region of the world, including Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. But we have not had a sub-dialogue on the Asia-Pacific," she told China Daily.

She said that many Chinese have the perception that the US seeks to drive a wedge between China and its neighbors, while the US and other nations are concerned about China's assertive behavior in the region.

Such consultation is needed to "assuage suspicion and build greater confidence", she said.

The military relations have long been the most sensitive and fragile part of China-US relations and have experienced many ups and downs since the two countries resumed their diplomatic ties in 1979.

Beijing broke military ties in January last year when the US sold Taiwan more than $6 billion worth of arms. In June, China rejected a proposal for a visit by US Defense Secretary Robert Gates. Tension was finally thawed during low-level exchanges last year. Gates' visit to China in early January also cooled down the tensions and resumed the relations.

"This dialogue is an effort to cut through the stove piping in China's bureaucracy and dispel misunderstandings, and prevent mishaps," Glaser said.

Though it may not produce quick results, she said, it is a "promising start".

China Daily