China and the United States are set to hold their first round of strategic and economic dialogues in Washington on Monday. An array of strategic and economic issues will be discussed over the next two days. The Chinese delegation is headed by Vice Premier Wang Qishan and State Councilor Dai Bingguo. Ahead of the talks, Wang Qishan met on Sunday with members of the US-China Working Group in the US Congress.

Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan meets with Rick Larson (L) in Washington, D.C., on July 26, 2009, the day before the first round of the China-U.S. Economic and Strategic Dialogue, which is to be held in Washington, D.C. from July 27 to 28. [Zhang Yan/Xinhua]

Rallying confidence, recovering economic growth and strengthening Sino-US economic cooperation. They're the theme of the economic track of the high-level dialogue.

Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan and US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner will co-chair this segment.

The major items on the strategic track involve Sino-US relations, regional and global issues.

Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo will co-chair that segment with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

On Monday morning, a joint opening session will be held in the Ronald Reagan Building, the largest building in the US capital located blocks away from the While House.

US President Barack Obama will deliver a speech at the ceremony.

A plenary session follows, and then separate bilateral discussions between Wang Qishan and Geithner as well as Dai Bingguo and Clinton.

On the eve of dialogue, Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan met Rick Larsen, co-chair of the bipartisan US-China Working group at Congress.

Wang Qishan noted what is the most important is strengthening dialogue and cooperation to jointly tackle global financial crisis.

Larsen and other congressmen said the US values the upcoming China-US Strategic and Economic dialogues, and is looking forward to stepping up cooperation with China.

(CCTV July 28, 2009)