The Bush administration has thoroughly briefed the incoming transition team of Barack Obama on the importance of the Sino-US Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED) which links policymakers on both sides, a senior US official said on Tuesday.

"The current administration is working with the incoming administration for a smooth transition on all issues and I can tell you that the transition team briefing has focused on the importance of US-China relations," Daniel Sullivan, US Assistant Secretary of State for Economic and Business Affairs, said in Beijing.

Sullivan, who attended all the previous four SED meetings since the biannual mechanism was launched in 2006, arrived in Beijing yesterday to attend the last round of the talks under the Bush administration, scheduled for tomorrow and Friday.

"I know that the incoming Obama transition team, both at the State Department and the Treasury Department, are thoroughly briefed the SED is important it's recognized pretty broadly in the United States," Sullivan said.

For this round, Washington has sent a "strong delegation", including 11 high-ranking officials, Sullivan said.

(China Daily December 3, 2008)