BEIJING, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Founded in Taizhou, east China's Jiangsu Province on April 23, 1949, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy is set to celebrate its 70th founding anniversary Tuesday.
Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, the navy has grown into a powerful modern navy that can safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests, as well as a marine force capable of diverse military tasks.
Most importantly, it always has been and will be a force of peace, as it always understands, treasures and protects it.
From 1840 to 1949, China suffered more than 470 assaults by foreign forces from the sea, which made the Chinese know too well the preciousness of peace.
The Chinese navy has never threatened or brought turmoil to any country. It brings confidence in peace and development in a world faced with uncertainties and unrest.
Since 2008, the navy has escorted over 6,600 vessels on the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia. The naval hospital ship Peace Ark has completed multiple overseas missions providing free medical services to over 230,000 people since 2010. In March 2015, a Chinese naval vessel evacuated 621 Chinese citizens and over 270 people of other nationalities from Yemen, which was in civil war, in nine days.
The list of such missions will increase as the PLA navy continues its own growth.
Now as it marks its 70th birthday, delegations from over 60 countries and vessels from more than 10 countries will join multinational naval events from April 22 to 25 in eastern coastal city of Qingdao, which will include a maritime parade, high-level seminars and joint military music displays.
It is a common longing for peace that gathers the navies from different countries together in Qingdao.
It not only shows the navies' sincere congratulations for the PLA Navy, but also their common will to jointly safeguard world peace.
At the media center for the multinational naval events, an album of the Chinese navy's endeavors to maintain world peace has drawn great attention and positive responses from media at home and abroad.
The anniversary events will set up platforms for inter-naval communication and further mutual trust, create more ground for stronger practical cooperation, and improve consensus to work together to face challenges and safeguard world peace.
