Special Report:  China Marks 60th Anniversary of Navy

    BEIJING, April 25 (Xinhua) -- A senior Chinese military official on Saturday urged the navy to beef up its combat capacity to better protect the country's maritime security.

    Guo Boxiong, vice chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party of China (CPC), made the call at a conference here marking the 60th founding anniversary of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy.

    Guo said the navy must follow the Party's orders, urging the force to enhance its military preparedness, constantly improve ability in completing diversified military tasks in the information age, and gradually form a maritime defense system conforming to the requirements for safeguarding the nation's sea security and development interests.

    The officer also urged efforts to run the military with high standards, achieve high-level military stability, centralization and unity.

    Under the leadership of the Communist Party of China, the Chinese navy had made tremendous historical progress and a modern maritime defensive force with multi-arms has taken shape, he said.

    In fulfilling the military missions in the new century, the Chinese navy plays a significant role, shoulders great responsibilities and is entrusted with glorious missions, he said.

    Guo also pledged to promote the scientific development of the navy.

    He called on efforts to build a strong navy that could fulfill the historical missions of the Chinese military in the new century, so as to make more contributions in safeguarding state sovereignty, national security and territorial integrity and building a moderately prosperous society in all respects.

    China held a grand naval display on Thursday in waters off Qingdao of east Shandong Province.

    The display, joined by 25 vessels and 31 naval aircraft of the People's Liberation Army Navy and 21 vessels from 14 foreign countries, included the debut of China's nuclear submarines.