U.S. Secretary of Treasury Timothy Geithner vowed on Tuesday to strengthen the relations between the U.S. with China, which he said are critical to ending the global financial crisis.

Geithner, who will visit China on Saturday, stressed that the Obama administration is committed to establish a positive, cooperative and comprehensive relationship with China.

"We have an obligation to make sure that as we fix the crisis, we are putting place a better foundation of a more balanced and sustained world recovery," he said at a news briefing before his visit.

The Treasury chief also reiterated U.S. position in support of a strong U.S. dollar.

"We are committed to a strong dollar, we are committed to bring a fiscal deficit down over a medium-term to a sustainable level," he noted.

During Geithner's three-day visit, the two sides will discuss "strengthening U.S.-China economic ties to promote stable, balanced and sustained economic growth in the two nations, said the U.S. Treasury Department in a statement.

(Xinhua News Agency May 27, 2009)