China is scheduled to hold its annual naval parade aimed to attract military ties with other nations and to intensify the pride of the Chinese citizens. India, Australia, and other nations arrived in China to join the naval parade.
Indian and Australian warships were spotted in China as part of their goodwill visit in the country. The parade shows that China extends hands of friendship to other nations despite the regional tensions and suspicions against them.
Tuesday will mark the 70th year of the founding of the People's Liberation Army Navy. The Chinese navy is scheduled to show off new warships at a major review in the waters off Qingdao in commemoration of the event. They are expected to showcase their submarines and destroyers during the event.
According to China, warships from more or less a dozen nations are taking part in the event. They said that the People's Liberation Army is extending their efforts in welcoming all the visitors. According to a diplomatic source, 13 nations will join China during the celebration.
Captain Aditya Hara of India said during the interview on the dockside after disembarking from the ship in Qingdao that they bring to China one of the best ships that they have made. He added that it is the pride of the nation and the navy, and we are very happy to be here.
China and India are in conflict over their disputed land border and China's support for India's regional rival Pakistan. India sent a stealth guided-missile destroyer, the INS Kolkata, to take part in the event. The Indian ship sailed through the Taiwan Strait to reach Qingdao. The path is a sensitive waterway that separates China from self-ruled Taiwan. China claims the region a sacred Chinese territory.
Captain Hara said that they headed on a direct route and we are very happy that we were facilitated by the PLA Navy and they ensured that we had a safe passage to Qingdao.
Australia sent the HMAS Melbourne, a guided-missile frigate, to join the event. Australia is a close ally to the United States and it had sparred over Australian suspicions of Chinese interference in its politics. The country is one of the nations that banned China's Huawei Technologies CO. Ltd from supplying equipment to be used in its 5G broadband network.
Japan also joined by sending its destroyer to Qingdao. It is the first visit of a Japanese navy ship to China since 2011.
