US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has formed a team of "China specialists" to negotiate with the Chinese side during the China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue talks.

Geithner announced on Monday, the first day of his visit to Beijing, the appointment of David Loevinger as the Department's Executive Secretary and Senior Coordinator for China Affairs and the Strategic and Economic Dialogue. He said he also intends to name David Dollar as Economic and Financial Emissary to China.

Loevinger, who now serves as the US Treasury's Minister-Counselor for Financial Affairs in China, told China Daily that he would take up the new position in July and prepare for the upcoming dialogue.

"The US Treasury holds meetings almost everyday with economists on how to save the States from the financial crisis," he told China Daily on the sidelines of the paper's interview with Geithner.

"David Loevinger and David Dollar are both uniquely qualified to serve in these roles because of their deep expertise and extended experience in handling a broad array of China-US economic affairs," said Geithner earlier.

Loevinger is responsible for engaging China on a broad range on issues including financial regulation, monetary and exchange rate policy. He played a leading role in establishing the China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue and has worked with Chinese regulators to open new markets for US financial services firms.

(China Daily June 3, 2009)