Chairman of the European People's Party (EPP) Joseph Daul congratulated the People's Republic of China on its 60th founding anniversary.

"Today's China is a major global political and economic actor that has achieved outstanding growth rates in the last few decades, lifting over half a billion people out of extreme poverty," Daul said in a message that appeared in the latest issue of the Parliament magazine.

"On this occasion, I would like to pay my respects to the Chinese people and to underline the importance the EPP group attaches to EU-China relations," Daul said, referring to China's Thursday celebrations of the 60th anniversary.

He expressed the wish of the EPP, the largest party group within the European Parliament, for "a sincere, open and continuous dialogue not only on economic issues but also on a range of political issues and human rights."

Daul said he was looking forward to "future contacts to strengthen our cooperation."

(Xinhua News Agency October 1, 2009)