US Vice-President Joe Biden is flying to China for talks on the economy after the recent downgrading of US debt and ensuing market turmoil.
China is the US government's biggest foreign creditor. It holds $US1 trillion of debt and has called on the United States to do more to reduce its federal budget deficit.
Officials say Mr Biden will explain the finer points of a ''very strong deficit reduction package'' agreed by Congress.
Mr Biden is travelling at the invitation of his counterpart, Xi Jinping.