WASHINGTON, Sept. 29  -- The warm friendship between the peoples of the United States and China is strengthened by the bilateral cooperation on overcoming some of the toughest challenges facing the Asia-Pacific region and the world, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Tuesday.

In a congratulatory message to China on the 66th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Kerry said the U.S. wishes the people of China "a joyous celebration, and peace and prosperity over the coming year."

Kerry said that, over the last year, including during the first state visit to the U.S. by Chinese President Xi Jinping last week, "we have shown how much we can accomplish through cooperation."

"To bring our people closer, we've made it easier for our citizens to visit each other. To make the world safer and more secure, we're working to stem nuclear weapons proliferation. And to make the Earth safer for our children and grandchildren, we've made progress together in curbing greenhouse gas emissions and combating climate change," the top U.S. diplomat said.

"All the major challenges facing the world can benefit from the cooperation of the United States and China, and we look forward to continuing to build on our progress," Kerry added.

The People's Republic of China was founded on Oct. 1, 1949.