China and the United States will hold the fifth Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED) from Dec. 4 to 5 in Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang announced in Beijing on Tuesday.

Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan and U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson will co-chair the SED as special representatives of heads of state of the two countries, Qin said at a regular press conference.

The fifth dialogue, with the theme of "laying the foundation for a long-term Sino-U.S. economic partnership", will cover such topics as strategies to manage macro-economic risks and to promote a balanced economic development, strengthening energy and environmental cooperation, coping with trade challenges, promoting an open investment environment and international economic cooperation, according to the spokesman.

The SED is a dialogue mechanism initiated by Chinese President Hu Jintao and U.S. President George W. Bush in 2006. It is held twice a year in China and the United States in turn and has become an important platform for the economic leadership of the two countries to hold an in-depth exchange of views on bilateral economic and trade relationship.

(Xinhua News Agency November 25, 2008)