Chinese and US officials began talks on Monday as a prelude to the fifth round of the Strategic and Economic Dialogue, touching on sensitive issues such as cyber security.[Weitu.sdodo.com]

China and the United States held a strategic security dialogue on Monday and Tuesday, discussing the thorny issue of cyber security.

The two sides held candid in-depth discussions on cyber security, including the mechanism of a bilateral cyber working group, international cyberspace rules, and measures to boost dialogue and cooperation on cyber security.

Both sides expressed the willingness to improve the mechanism of the cyber working group on the basis of mutual respect and equality so that it can play a positive role in enhancing mutual trust, reducing mutual suspicion, managing disputes and expanding cooperation.

The two sides agreed to hold an informal meeting at an appropriate time before the next strategic security dialogue.

The strategic security dialogue is within the framework of the fifth China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED) which kicks off on Wednesday. The S&ED covers a wide range of political, security, economic and financial topics as well as major regional and international issues of common concern.

Top on the agenda are discussions on the implementation of the consensus reached by Chinese President Xi Jinping and U.S. President Barack Obama at their summit in California last month on building a new type of major-country relationship based on mutual respect and win-win cooperation.

Acting as special representatives of Xi, Vice Premier Wang Yang and State Councilor Yang Jiechi will co-chair the fifth S&ED with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew -- special representatives of Obama. Wang and Lew will co-chair the economic track talks, while Yang and Kerry will co-host the strategic track talks.