    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book II)]
    [September 20, 2006]
    [Page 1676]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Statement on the Creation of the United States-China Strategic Economic
    Dialogue
    September 20, 2006

        I am pleased to welcome the creation of the Strategic Economic
    Dialogue between the United States and China. My leading economic
    adviser, Secretary of the Treasury Henry Paulson, will chair the U.S. side of the dialog, with support from
    Allan Hubbard, the Director of my National
    Economic Council. Deborah Lehr will serve as
    Secretary Paulson's special envoy to the dialog. President Hu and I agree on the importance of maintaining strong
    and mutually beneficial U.S.-China economic relations and on the need to
    establish an overarching bilateral economic framework between our two
    countries. The Strategic Economic Dialogue will help us achieve those
    objectives.
        The economies of the United States and China have been engines of
    global growth. We must ensure that citizens of both countries benefit
    equitably from our growing economic relationship and that we work
    together to address economic challenges and opportunities.