China and the United States are ratcheting up efforts to prepare for strategic and economic talks this summer as US Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner continues his visit to Beijing.

On his first visit to China as Treasury chief, Geithner is scheduled to meet with President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao on Tuesday afternoon for talks that diplomatic sources say will lay the groundwork for the first China-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue.

The new dialogue mechanism came out of the first meeting between Hu and President Barack Obama in April in London.

Its strategic track will be chaired by Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo and US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, while the economic track will be chaired by Vice Premier Wang Qishan and Geithner.

"Wang Qishan and Geithner agreed to make full preparations and ensure the dialogue is a success," said a statement by the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Monday.

In an hour-long meeting with Geithner on Monday, Wang said, "The major task of the dialogue is to address the global economic slowdown.

"We will send a message that China and the United States are cooperating substantively to get over the difficult times, which will help boost confidence, promote global financial stability and economic recovery," Wang said.

Geithner told Wang, "The world is going through an exceptionally challenging period now and I think the world has a huge stake in our two countries working closely together to lay a foundation for recovery."

Neither side announced the date of the upcoming talks, but said it would take place in Washington D.C. this summer.

Earlier Tuesday, Geithner visited Beijing's Capital Museum, which is partly powered by clean and renewable solar energy, generated by panels manufactured by Michigan-based Uni-Solar Company.

Geithner also met with representatives of eight US clean energy companies with branches in China.

(Xinhua News Agency June 2, 2009)