The46thfleetoftheChinesePeople'sLiberationArmyNavysetssailfromamilitaryportinZhanjiang,southChina'sGuangdongProvince,Feb.21,2024.(PhotobyYangJie/Xinhua)BEIJING,April23(Xinhua)--MinJiangtao,a34-year-oldjuniorofficerinChina'snavy,haswitnessedthelaunchofallthreeaircraftcarriersofChina,dubbedLiaoning,ShandongandFujian.AboutsevendecadesagowhentheChinesePeople'sLiberationArmy(PLA)Navyhadjustbeenestablished,thennavalcommanderXiaoJinguanghadtotakeafishingboattoinspectLiugongIsland,about2.1nauticalmilesfromthecoastofChina'sShandongProvince,afactrecordedinasteleinscriptionontheisland.Thisyearmarksthe75thfoundinganniversaryofthePLANavy.Overthedecades,thePLANavyhasundergonesteadydevelopment,startingfromscratchandgrowingintoastrategicforceconsistingoffiveservices,armedwithbothnuclearandconventionalweapons.Poisedtobecomeaworld-classnavalforce,thePLANavyisdeterminedtogainthecapabilitytofulfillitsmissionsandtasksinthenewera,andtocontributemoretomaintainingpeaceintheworld.TOWARDAWORLD-CLASSNAVYThePLANavy'sweaponryandequipmentdevelopmenthascomealongway.Intheearlydaysoftheestablishmentofthenavy,thetotaltonnageofitsvesselswasjustafewthousandtonnes,whichwaslessthanasingledestroyerinthenavyofamajorpower.The18thNationalCongressoftheCommunistPartyofChinain2012markedthestartofa"goldenperiod"forthenavy'sdevelopment.TheachievementsincludedthelaunchingofthefirstamphibiousassaultshipindependentlydevelopedbyChinainSeptember2019andthecommissioningofthenew10,000-tonnedestroyerNanchanginJanuary2020.InJune2022,thefirstejectionaircraftcarrierindependentlydesignedandbuiltbyChina,theFujian,waslaunchedandnamed.COMMITMENTTOPEACETheChineseNavyowesitsdevelopmenttopeaceandisgoingbeyondthenationalbordersforpeace.TheNingbo-ZhoushanPort,acommerceandtradehubineastChina'sZhejiangProvince,haswitnessedthemanydeparturesoftheChinesenavalhospitalship"PeaceArk"onitsvarioushumanitarianmissions.Theshiphasprovidedmedicalservicesformorethan290,000patientsfrom45countriesandregionssinceitscommissioningin2008.Asthemainmaritimeforceofthecountry,thePLANavyplaysanactiveroleinmaritimepublicaffairs,maintainingmaritimepeace,tranquilityandorder,whilecontinuouslyprovidingpublicsecurityproductstotheinternationalcommunity.InApril2023,theChinesenavyparticipatedintheevacuationofChinesenationalsfromSudanfollowingtheoutbreakofarmedconflictinthecountry.ItwasthethirdoverseasevacuationofcivilianscarriedoutbytheChinesenavyinrecentyears,followingtwopreviousoperationsinLibyaandYemenin2011and2015,respectively.Duringtheoverseasevacuationofcivilians,theChinesenavydemonstrateditscommitmenttointernationalhumanitarianassistancebyhelpinghundredsofforeignersleavethecrisis-torncountries.Overtheyears,theChinesenavyhasbeenactiveincarryingoutthecountry'sassistancetoothercountries,includingdelivering960tonnesoffreshwatertotheMaldivesduringawatercrisiscausedbyafireincidentin2014,andsailingover5,200nauticalmilestoassistindisasterreliefeffortsinthewakeofavolcaniceruptioninTongain2022.IntheGulfofAdenandthewatersoffSomalia,ChinesenavalshipshavebeencarryingoutvesselprotectionoperationssinceDecember2008.Overtheyears,46consecutivefleetswithover150vesselsofthePLANavyhavejoinedtheefforts,escortingmorethan7,200Chineseandforeignvessels,helpingtransformtheareaonceknownas"theworld'smostdangerousarea"intoa"goldenwaterway."The19thWesternPacificNavalSymposium(WPNS)isbeingheldineastChina'sportcityofQingdao,gatheringdelegationsfrom29countries.ThisisthesecondtimetheWPNShasbeenheldinChinaafterthecountryfirsthostedtheeventin2014.AddressingtheopeningeventonMonday,ZhangYouxia,vicechairmanoftheCentralMilitaryCommission,saidthatChina'sarmedforceshaveactivelyparticipatedininternationalcooperationofmaritimesecurityandprovidedmaritimepublicsecuritygoods,addingthatChinawillplayamorepositiveandopenroleininternationalmilitarycooperation.Editor:DisclaimerTheviewsandopinionsexpressedinthisarticlearethoseoftheauthor's,GMW.cnmakesnorepresentationsastoaccuracy,suitability,orvalidityofanyinformationonthissiteandwillnotbeliableforanyerrors,omissions,ordelaysinthisinformation.