BEIJING, July 8 -- Clean energy, the environment and climate change will be the new engines of China-U.S. ties, said a Chinese official ahead of the sixth China-U.S. Strategic and Economic Dialogue (SED).

China and the U.S. are faced with similar challenges and share common interests in terms of climate change and clean energy, said Xie Zhenhua, deputy director of China's National Development and Reform Commission, at the 2014 China-U.S. EcoPartnership Workshop on Tuesday.

As both China and U.S. are building clean, low-carbon economies, they can push forward relations in these areas, said Xie.

Jonathan Elkind, assistant secretary of U.S. Department of Energy International Affairs office, said that there can be no solution to climate change and environmental protection without China and U.S. participation.

The EcoPartnership is a platform for cooperation among local governments and organizations under the U.S.- China Ten Year Framework for Cooperation on Energy and Environment signed during the fifth SED in 2008.

There are currently 24 active EcoPartnerships between the two sides, and another six pairs will be added this weekend, including China Petrochemical Corporation, General Electric and Environmental Defense Fund.

The program facilitates the exchange of information and best practices to foster innovation and develop solutions to challenges in environmental and energy areas.