Announcing the change, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the first meeting in the new administration will take place this summer in Washington.
In the Bush administration, the discussions took place twice a year rotating between China and the U.S. The Obama administration has reduced the number to one and elevated the role the State Department will play in the discussions. Treasury and State now will share responsibilities for guiding the talks.
Administration officials said the changes were being made to broaden the discussions between the two nations. While the talks would only occur once a year, the administration plans to have that session take place only after extensive preparatory work by officials in both countries.
The announcement came on the same day that President Barack Obama met in London with Chinese President Hu Jintao. Obama accepted an invitation from Hu to visit China sometime in the second half of this year.
According to a fact sheet released by the White House, Clinton and Chinese State Councilor Dai Bigguo will chair the strategic track of the discussions. Geithner and Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan will chair the economic track.
"The dialogue will focus on addressing the challenges and opportunities that both countries face on a wide range of bilateral, regional and global areas of immediate and long-term strategic interest," Clinton and Geithner said in their joint statement.
Frank Vargo, vice president for international affairs at the National Association of Manufacturers, said the trade group favored the administration's new approach, believing that currency issues and broader trade matters will remain a top priority.
"This is good news because the relationship between China and the United States in this very troubled economic period is extremely important," Vargo said.
By Martin Crustsinger(AP)
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