Two ships of Pakistan Navy would participate in celebrations of founding of People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China Navy starting from second half of this month, a Defence source at Pakistan Embassy said here on Saturday. More than 40 naval vessels would join a grand international fleet around April 23 in a display to mark the 60th anniversary of the founding of China's PLA Navy, a PLA officer said.
PNS Nasr, an oil tanker and Destroyer PNS Badr would arrive Qingdao on April 19 to take part in the celebrations, said Captain Mirza Foad Amin Baig, the Naval Attache. The oil tanker PNS Nasr was constructed in China in 1985, he said. Baig pointed out that those two ships with around 700 crew and officials on board would participate in a number of activities during their April 19-25 stay in China.
Arrangements are afoot to organise a seminar and lectures to highlight, the pivotal role being played by Pakistan Navy in providing security at the international waters, he said. A senior officer of Pakistan Navy will address an international symposium being organised in connection with the PLA Navy celebrations. Over 15 countries have pledged to send ships to the east port city of Qingdao as part of the celebrations and at least 28 foreign countries will send delegations, said the officer with the Chinese Navy's headquarters.
The parade will be staged off Qingdao, the Navy's North Sea Fleet's headquarters in Shandong Province. The PLA Navy was founded on April 23, 1949 with nine warships and 17 boats obtained after a unit of the Kuomintang's second coastal defence fleet defected to the Communists.
The celebrations will be an opportunity for foreign navies to have intensive and close observation of the PLA Navy's facilities and personnel. The navies of Pakistan and China maintain excellent relations and it is evident from the fact that a Chinese destroyer Guangzhou with an embarked helicopter and special services personnel team took part in the multinational naval exercises 'Aman-09' conducted by Pakistan Navy in North Arabian Sea off Karachi last month.