The U.S. government on Tuesday said the first meeting of the U.S.-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue will be held in Washington during the last week of July.

"The dialogue will focus on addressing the challenges and opportunities that both countries face in a wide range of bilateral, regional and global areas of immediate and long-term strategic interest," the U.S. State Department said in a statement.

"Through the two days of meetings, we look forward to in-depth discussions with our Chinese counterparts to enhance the welfare of the citizens of both countries," the statement said.

During the bilateral dialogue in July, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will hold strategic talks with Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo, while U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner will hold discussions with China's Vice Premier Wang Qishan.

The new dialogue mechanism was agreed at the first meeting between President Barack Obama and President Hu Jintao on April 1in London.

(Xinhua News Agency June 3, 2009)