On July 9 local time, under the strategic framework of the fifth round of the China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogues (S&ED), the 3rd China-U.S. Strategic Security Dialogue was held in Washington, D.C.. Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State William Burns co-hosted the dialogue, with Wang Guanzhong, Deputy Chief of the General Staff of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, Cui Tiankai, Chinese Ambassador to the United States, James N. Miller, U.S. Under Secretary of Defense for Policy, and Samuel J. Locklear, Commander of the United States Pacific Command (USPACOM) present. The two sides exchanged views on topics of common concerns of strategic security and comprehensive security in a candid, practical and constructive atmosphere. Both sides made positive comments on the growing importance of the Strategic Security Dialogue, and decided to continue in-depth and positive dialogues on relevant issues to build a stable, win-win, and cooperative China-U.S. strategic security relationship. The two sides agreed to hold an informal meeting in due course before the Fourth Strategic Security Dialogue.

On July 8, China and the United States also held the First Network Working Group Meeting under the framework of the S&ED. Officials of the Chinese side from Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of National Defense, Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, Ministry of Commerce, State Council Information Office, and of the U.S. side from the State Department, Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Department of the Treasury, Department of Commerce, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and National Security Council, attended the meeting. Both sides had a candid and in-depth exchange on the topics of construction of a network team mechanism, network relations between the two countries, international rules of cyber space, bilateral dialogue and cooperation measures and others of common concern. Both sides expressed the willingness to build the dialogue mechanism abiding by the principles of mutual respect and equal dialogue, and make it play a positive role in building confidence, controlling and well managing differences, and expanding cooperation between the two countries. The two sides agreed to hold another intersessional meeting within this year.