BEIJING, July 31 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi met here Tuesday with visiting U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, paving way for the third China-U.S. Strategic Economic Dialogue (SED).

    "They have exchanged views on the principles, topics and the arrangement of the coming third dialogue", said a source with Chinese Foreign Ministry who attended the meeting.

    The biannual SED, launched by Wu and Paulson in Beijing in September last year, serves as a platform to discuss long-term, strategic and comprehensive issues in the bilateral trade relationship.

    The third SED will be held in Beijing in December.

    Wu said the success of the two previous rounds resulted from the efforts made by the two sides to improve the trade relations and to address the trade disputes.

    A statement from China's Foreign Ministry after the meeting said that Wu told Paulson the dialogue should be continued with a comprehensive, long-term and strategic perspective and be given full play in developing bilateral relations with the emergence of "new situations".

    China would make joint efforts with the U.S. side to further implement the projects or programs agreed in the previous dialogue and make preparations for a successful dialogue, Wu said.

    Paulson agreed, calling for the two nations to handle the trade relations from a more strategic angle, said the statement.

    The United States would maintain close consultation with China on the third SED, Paulson said.

    After arriving in Beijing on Sunday afternoon, Paulson traveled to Xining, capital of northwest China's Qinghai Province, for an "environmental tour", which includes environmental protection programs and rural households in remote areas on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

    This is Paulson's second visit to China this year, following his short tour in March.