    [Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 38 (Monday, September 25, 2006)]
    [Page 1640]
    [Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    <R04>
    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.