BRUSSELS / BEIJING - German Socialist Martin Schulz was voted president of the European Parliament on Tuesday after defeating two British rivals in the first ballot.

Succeeding Polish Christian Democrat Jerzy Buzek for the second half of a five-year term, Schulz, 56, has been shouldered with the demanding tasks of solving the European debt crisis and boosting the economy through legislative efforts.

Schulz won 387 out of the 670 valid votes cast on Tuesday morning in Strasbourg, the European Parliament's base in France. The result caused British candidates Nirj Deva, a member of the European Conservatives, and Diana Wallis, who belongs to the Liberals, to withdraw after the first ballot.

Ioan Mircea Pascu, a member of the European Parliament, told China Daily that through Schulz's efforts Parliament may play a bigger role in solving Europe's worsening debt problems.

"He (Schulz) also frequently said that he wants those problems solved not exclusively in summits, but in ways allowing the Parliament to bring their own contribution," Pascu said in an interview. "He promised to defend and promote the European Parliament."

His election may signal a comeback of the "left" in the political landscape of Europe, Pascu said. "Let us wait for the coming elections in some of the most important EU countries due this and next year, to see whether the prediction is confirmed," Pascu said.

As chair of the Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats in the European Parliament, Schulz has maintained smooth exchanges with leaders of the Communist Party of China by setting up high-level dialogue platforms among the parties.

When he visited Beijing last May, Schulz said China and the European Union need "political cooperation".

"Taking into account of importance and political impact of China, it's not sufficient only to discuss economic relations," said Schulz, who met Vice-President Xi Jinping during his visit.

Pascu didn't elaborate on Schulz's views on China. "As far as I know, he had an objective attitude on China up until now," Pascu said. "I expect it will continue that way."

Although the European Parliament is not a policymaking body, it plays an important role in improving European parties' and people's perceptions about China, said Ma Canrong, former Chinese ambassador to Germany.

"Its leaders, such as Schulz, who know a lot about China are useful in helping more Europeans ... understand our country," he said.

China is willing to continue to support Europe's efforts in solving sovereign debt issues based on win-win cooperation, said Feng Zhongping, head of the European studies institute in the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations.

The credit rating downgrade of the European Financial Stability Facility by Standard & Poor's on Monday shows that the market still lacks confidence about the economy, according to Feng.

China can help solve the crisis through increased bilateral trade and direct investment in Europe, he said.

Schulz was born on Dec 20, 1955, in Hehlrath - a small German city close to the German-Dutch-Belgian border. He began his political career at 19, joining the German Social Democratic Party. At 31, he was elected mayor of Wurselen, a post he held for 11 years.

Elected to the European Parliament in 1994, Schulz has served on a number of committees, including the sub-committee on Human Rights and the Civil Liberties Committee. He led the German delegation of the Socialist group from 2000 and was also a vice-chair of the Socialist Group in the European Parliament.

He was elected group leader in 2004, a position held until he was elected as president on Tuesday.