China expands naval diplomacy

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Richard Dromehauser, Commanding Officer of USS Fitzgerald, USA, said, "Thank you, Sir. We are honored to be here. It's a fantastic opportunity for my crew and I."

Fitzgerald is attending the maritime parade along with other navies.

In a meeting between US Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Gary Roughead and Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie, both sides stressed the importance of forging positive relations. Last month, Chinese boats tangled with a US surveillance ship in the South China Sea. The visit by Roughead is a sign of improving relations.

The parade has drawn naval delegations from 29 nations and ships from 14 countries. Many ships are here for the first time. And China is taking this opportunity to promote exchanges. The welcomes have been warm, and individual and multilateral meetings are taking place. A senior-level seminar has been held for the commanding officers.

Chinese Naval commander Wu Shengli stressed a harmonious ocean needs the concerted efforts by all navies. He also said the UN must play a key role in maintaining the order of the sea.