BEIJING, May 1 (Xinhuanet) -- An expanded European Union will provide more opportunities for China, said Klaus Ebermann, head of the delegation of the European Commission of the European Union.

    He made these remarks here Saturday when attending a celebration ceremony for the expansion, which he said would create an even wider market for Chinese products in Europe than before. It extends a single set of trade rules, a single tariff, and a single set of administrative procedures across the whole of the Single Market in the enlarged Union, allowing freer movement of goods and services and raising the standards of rules in force across the region.

    He said that Chinese businesses can benefit from the enlargement by being present in a market of nearly half a billion consumers. A state-of-the-art transportation network which is currently being built with the help of multibillion euro investment funds will further facilitate distribution across the continent. Chinese products shipped into any European port will then be more efficiently delivered to any destination in the expanded Union.

    Trade and economic cooperation is the fundamental part of the relations between EU and China. However, the two sides should continue to cooperate on more constructive contribution to the wider international society.

    China was the second largest trade partner for EU in 2003, while EU was the third largest partner for China.

    May 1 is a historic occasion for Europe, which marked the reunification of Europe and the ending of man-made divisions in the last century. Beyond that, it represented the development of Europe, more unified, more peaceful, and more prosperous than at any time in history, said Declan Connolly, ambassador of Ireland and EU rotation presidency nation.

    The 10 new members are Cyprus, Czech, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia. Enditem