U.S., China conclude fifth round of strategic talks WASHINGTON, July 11 (Xinhua) -- The United States and China concluded their fifth round of annual Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED) here on Thursday. U.S. Treasury Secretary Jack Lew, who co-chaired the dialogue, said in the closing session that the dialogue built on the agreements made by Chinese President Xi Jinping and his U.S. counterpart Barack Obama at a summit in California last month. Lew highlighted progress made in discussions concerning economic cooperation, energy, finance and cyber issues. China's Vice Premier Wang Yang, one of the two Chinese co- chairs of the dialogue, also noted progress made on investment and trade issues. Wang said senior officials from both sides have familiarized with each other and deepened mutual understanding, adding the S&ED can become an important platform in building a new type of major power relationship between the two countries. China, U.S. sign six new EcoPartnership agreements WASHINGTON, July 11 (Xinhua) -- China and the United Sates on Thursday expanded their EcoPartnership program with the signing of six new partnerships to reduce greenhouse gases emissions and improve energy efficiency as well as create jobs. The new agreements will add six partnerships to the original group of 18, said Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi at a signing ceremony during the fifth round of China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogue in Washington. China, U.S. to start substantive BIT negotiations soon WASHINGTON, July 11 (Xinhua) -- China and the United States agreed to start the substantive discussions of the China-U.S. Bilateral Investment Treaty (BIT) as soon as possible, Chinese Commerce Minister Gao Hucheng said here on Thursday. Investment is an important area of China-U.S. economic cooperation. It is a mutual concern of both parties, and both parties need to have creative thinking in order to create convenient conditions for the mutually beneficial cooperation between businesses of the two countries," Gao told reporters at a press briefing during the ongoing fifth round of the China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED) starting on Wednesday. Chinese economy not to take hard landing: finance minister WASHINGTON, July 11 (Xinhua) -- China's Finance Minister Lou Jiwei said here Thursday that his country's economy will not take a hard landing and a slower economic growth rate is a necessary phenomenon from economic restructuring. "Despite the slowdown of China's economic growth rate, the structural reform is paying off," Lou told the press after a session on reform and sustainable development on the second day of the two-day China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogue (S&ED).