中美战略与经济对话是中美双方就事关两国关系发展的战略性、长期性、全局性问题而进行的战略对话，是由中美战略对话与中美战略经济对话两大机制升级而来的。

随着中美关系不断发展和国际形势的变化，双方认识到须要进行不断提升对话层次、丰富对话内容。2009年4月1日，中国国家主席胡锦涛与美国总统奥巴马在伦敦参加二十国集团金融峰会期间举行会晤，双方就建立中美战略与经济对话机制达成一致，将之前的中美战略对话和中美战略经济对话合二为一，升级为由双方元首特使领衔的中美战略与经济对话机制。

中美战略与经济对话机制的议题不仅涉及双边，也包括国际金融体系改革、全球经济平衡增长、气候变化、地区安全等多边议题。它为促进中美关系发展和两国高层战略互动发挥了重要作用，有利于中美新型大国关系的构建。

Sino-U.S Strategic and Economic Dialogue（S&ED）

The Sino-US Strategic and Economic Dialogue is a forum for China and the United States to discuss a wide range of strategic, long-term, and global issues that bear on the relations between the two countries. It is an upgrade from two previous mechanisms, namely the China-U.S. Senior Dialogue (also known as the China-U.S. Strategic Dialogue) and the China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogue.

With deepening Sino-US relations and a shifting international political landscape, both China and the United States became aware of the need for a higher-level and more substantive mechanism for dialogue. On April 1, 2009 at the G-20 London summit, President Hu Jintao of China and President Barack Obama of the United States reached agreement on the creation of a new mechanism for Sino-US strategic and economic dialogue. Combining the former China-U.S. Senior Dialogue and Strategic and Economic Dialogue, the upgraded forum comprises a "Strategic Track" and an "Economic Track" co-chaired by special representatives of the heads of state of both countries.

The dialogue covers not only bilateral issues, but also multilateral topics such as financial sector reform, balanced growth of the world economy, climate change, and regional security. It plays an important role in strengthening Sino-US ties, facilitating high-level strategic interaction between the two countries, and contributing to the building of a new model of major-power relationship.