The China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED) is a high-level meeting between the two countries that was first announced on April 1, 2009, by then-Chinese President Hu Jintao and US President Barack Obama.

The S&ED replaced two former platforms, Senior Dialogue and Strategic Economic Dialogue, launched by Hu and President George W. Bush respectively in 2005 and 2006.

The 5th S&ED in Washington next week includes a two-day meeting of various working groups on July 8-9 ahead of the July 10-11 dialogue of the top leaders of both countries.

The S&ED has a "strategic track" and an "economic track". Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi and US Secretary of State John Kerry will co-chair the strategic part, while Vice-Premier Wang Yang and Secretary of Treasury Jack Lew will co-chair the economic track.

The usual agenda includes family photos, remarks, presentation, discussions, a working luncheon and closing statements.

At last year's meeting in Beijing, the US sent some 200 officials, of whom 15 were cabinet level. The same size delegation from the Chinese side is expected this year to include many top decision-makers in government ministries.

More joint working groups have been set up in recent years to address the expanding and increasingly complex relationship. Bilateral trade stood at $262 billion in 2006 when the talks first started, and it approached $500 billion in 2012.

After last year's meeting, China and the US announced an outcome report covering some 50 areas.

(China Daily USA 07/05/2013 page19)