China holds maritime parade to mark PLA Navy´s 60th anniversary

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21 foreign vessels paraded in front of the destroyer inspection ship. The Russian guided missile destroyer Varyag, the biggest among the participating warships, led the formation. The parade also included warships from other world and regional naval powers. Among them were the US Aegis-class destroyer, the Fitzgerald, the Indian destroyer Mumbai and the South Korean destroyer Ganm Chan. The parade provides a platform for exchange among the navies.

A naval parade of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy warships is held in waters off Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, on April 23, 2009. The parade displayed 25 naval vessels and 31 aircraft of the PLA Navy, including two  nuclear submarines, as part of a celebration to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of the PLA Navy. (Xinhua/Zha Chunming)

From joint military exercises to peace missions, from military consultations to anti-piracy cooperation, China has been expanding its military contacts with the rest of the world. And the maritime parade is a concrete step to realize its goal.

The foreign sailors are staying in Qingdao for less than a week. It is hoped they will have a lasting memory of their experience here.

China's navy is turning 60 in style. And the celebrations form part of the military transparency. While protecting its maritime interests, China is also ready to take on its international obligations through cooperation. And this international review also shows the country’s growing confidence with the modernization of its navy.