Military ships from 14 different countries took part in a floatingparade off the coastal Chinese city of Qingdao, marking the 60thanniversary of the China's navy.  

Chinese navy nuclear-powered submarine during international fleet review, off Qingdao, Shandong Province, 23 Apr 2009China'smodern navy has come a long way. It developed from the ships thatsurrendered or defected from the losing Nationalist side, during theChinese civil war in 1949.

There were 25 People's LiberationArmy navy vessels and 31 aircraft in Thursday's parade. The Chineseflotilla included two nuclear submarines, which was the first time aChinese nuclear sub has appeared in a public ceremony.

Mission: safeguard world peace

ChinesePresident Hu Jintao was aboard the destroyer Shijiazhuang, as hereviewed the international naval craft that followed the Chinese.

Theorder of ships was based on tonnage. First in line was a Russiancruiser, followed by destroyers from the United States, India and SouthKorea.

In meetings earlier in the day, President Hu assuredforeign delegations that the PLA (People's Liberation Army) navy willsafeguard world peace and development and will not be a threat to othernations.

Paul Holtom, a researcher at the StockholmInternational Peace Research Institute, calls the Chinese navalpresence "fairly significant" and a possible indication of widerambitions.     

"I think this also ties into thediscussions on whether China is going to go ahead with an aircraftcarrier, which would really give it capabilities to project its powerwell beyond the South China Sea," he said.

US Defense Department isn't worried
         
ThePentagon has said China's military development is not worrying, but hasstressed it wants more clarity on Beijing's intentions.  

Richard Dromerhauser is the commanding officer of the USS Fitzgerald, which took part in the Chinese festivities.

"Welook for transparency, but transparency in intentions, capabilities. We just to want to make sure as we all work together, as we alltransit, that we can do so in a manner that is safe and efficient foreverybody," he said.
      
In this week's festivities inQingdao, American and Chinese sailors toured each other's vessels. TheU.S. delegation is headed by the chief of naval operations, AdmiralGary Roughead, who met with his PLA counterpart, Admiral Wu Shengli, inBeijing Saturday, before flying together with him to Qingdao Sunday.