[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.