Worldwide praise to China for its achievements over 60 years

BEIJING, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- Countries worldwide on Thursday lauded the great strides China has made in the past six decades, as the nation celebrated the 60th anniversary of the founding of the people's republic.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton on Thursday congratulated China on the 60th anniversary of the founding of the people's republic, saying China had achieved "a historic accomplishment" by lifting millions of people out of poverty.

"In the last 30 years, China has undergone an extraordinary economic transformation, lifting millions of people out of poverty. This is truly a historic accomplishment," she said.

Koichi Takemasa, Japan's state secretary for foreign affairs, on Thursday praised the development of China and the international role it has played.

Takemasa said during a press conference that China had attained eye-catching development since it adopted the policy of reform and opening-up, and provided enormous opportunities for other countries in the world, including Japan.

In a 20-page special report entitled "Chinese economy: A herald to world multipolarization," Japan's Nihon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei Shimbun) newspaper hailed China's economic development and its contributions to the world economy, saying the Chinese economy enjoyed broader scope for future development.

"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," Chairman of the European People's Party (EPP) Joseph 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 National Day celebrations on Thursday.

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."