A Chinese spokesman voiced hope on Tuesday for a continuation of the Strategic and Economic Dialogue (SED) mechanism between China and the United States.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Qin Gang told a routine press conference that the dialogue has become an important platform to boost China-U.S. economic and trade relations and overall bilateral relations.

"We hope the two sides could continue to push forward the dialogue mechanism with the aim of promoting bilateral dialogue and cooperation based on such a platform," Qin said.

"It is a very important mechanism of dialogue that aims to deal with strategic, long-term and comprehensive economic and trade issues," Qin said, adding that "full exchanges were realized" during previous dialogues.

The SED was 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 it has become an important platform for the economic leaders of both sides to conduct an in-depth exchange of views on economic and trade relationship.

The fifth SED is expected to kick off next month.

Qin noted that the constructive and cooperative relations between China and the United States were of vital importance given current international conditions, adding that U.S. president-elect Barack Obama expressed similar views in a telephone conversation with Hu.

Saying that U.S.-China relations are of vital importance, Obama expressed the hope that the United States and China will strengthen cooperation, and promote greater development of bilateral relations, to benefit both nations.

(Xinhua News Agency November 19, 2008)