Implementing Xi-Obama consensus tops the agenda

This week's dialogue is being held just one month after the meeting between China's President Xi Jinping and American President Barack Obama. Analysts say at the top on the agenda will be implementing Xi-Obama's Californian consensus.

Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang and State Councillor Yang Jiechi will meet their US counterparts led by US Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew and Secretary of State John Kerry during the dialogue. As the first cabinet-level talks since government reshuffles in both countries early this year, it's considered a good chance for senior Chinese and US officials to get to know each other and set up working relationship.

"Leading officials from over 20 departments of the two countries will meet and establish a close working relationship. I think the dialogue is very important that it will play a guiding role for the relationship in the following three to four years between the two countries," Tao Wenzhao, researcher of Institute of American Studies, CASS, said.

Analysts say that top the agenda will be building a new type of major-country relationship based on mutual respect and win-win cooperation, as reached by the two presidents at their historic summit held in California last month. Talks will cover a wide range of political, security, economic and financial topics that cover major bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual concern.

"Important topics will include issues of RMB exchange rate, better access of US companies to China's markets, US loosening controls of high-tech exports, as well as cooperation of the two countries in energy, new energy, trade, investment and financial areas," Shi Yinhong, prof. of Int'l Relations of Renmin Univ. of China.

China-US investment agreement, market opening and financial policies will be a focus of the discussion. Two special joint sessions on climate change and energy security will also be held by the two sides. Notably, the cyber working group will convene for the first time to discuss the issue of cyber security, which threatens to strain bilateral ties recently.