US President Barack Obama will address the opening of top level strategic and economic talks between Chinese and US leaders here next week, a White House official said Tuesday.

"President Obama will address the opening session of the first US-China strategic and economic dialogue on Monday July, 27," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said.

Gibbs added Obama and Chinese President Hu Jintao "launched this dialogue during their meeting in London in April as a way of strengthening relationships between the two countries."

The new high-level discussions, set for Monday and Tuesday, are an extension of economic talks begun under the previous administration of George W. Bush, but with a broader focus.

The dialogue "will focus on addressing the challenges and opportunities that both countries face on a wide range of bilateral, regional and global areas of immediate and long-term strategic and economic interests," according to a joint statement from the US Treasury and State Departments last week.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner will chair the American side of the dialogue.

Hu and Obama agreed when they met in April that Clinton and Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo will chair the "strategic track" and Geithner and Chinese Vice Premier Wang Qishan will chair the "economic track" of the talks.

The US leader also accepted an invitation to visit China later in the year.

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