Wu Yi, the 68 year-old popular vice-premier who has developed a reputation as the government's go-to person in a crisis, will head talks with US Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson this week, the Wall Street Journal reported. Wu is China's most senior female official and will lead the talks that will include six other US cabinet-rank officials and Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke. The talks are the first round in a new strategic dialogue to improve US-Chinese relations. The challenge for Wu, who has been Beijing's face on a number of issues ranging from infectious diseases to movie piracy, will be to resolve trade tensions with China's biggest export market. "She has enormous credibility with the Communist Party, the government, the general public and the foreign businesses," said Chris Murck, the Asia head of public affairs firm APCO Worldwide.