Commentary: Our commitment to peace

Call it the People's Liberation Army Navy's (PLA-N) coming-out party, or its initiation ceremony.

But do not mistake the PLA-N's celebration of its 60th anniversary for a bluff show of masculinity.

Indeed, the PLA-N's stock of hardware and combat capabilities have seen sea changes through 60 years, the past 30 in particular.

Today in Qingdao, the 60-year-old PLAN will take off its veil before naval officials from 29 countries and unravel some of the riddles surrounding it. At roughly the same place where the 2008 Olympic sailing events were held, during the eagerly anticipated fleet review, the world will witness the debut of some state-of-the-art equipment in the PLA-N's arsenal, including a quite recent model of nuclear-powered submarine.

Yet let us be sensible - the PLAN does not have much muscle to show off. Even a layperson can find out how far the PLAN lags behind some of its counterparts represented in today's audience, in terms of both technologies and combat capabilities.

This country has no interest in a new round of arms race. Nor can it afford it - we have too many costly social undertakings crying for financing with precious taxpayer money. But we need a strong navy. This is a consensus being keenly felt nationwide. Not that we are bellicose, or greedy. We have a practical need to protect our maritime interest.

As our trading routes sprawl, our vulnerabilities grow. Armed pirates off the coast of Somalia are only a minor footnote to such susceptibilities. Not to mention that our maritime sovereignty has been under constant threats from territorial disputes.

Some people are allergic to a strong PLAN, or even the talk about a Chinese aircraft carrier. That is both unnecessary and unfair. What is wrong with a military strong China? The Ming-Dynasty China had the strongest navy in the world. No harm was done to the outside world. Instead, the entire North-Sea Fleet of the Qing Dynasty was sunk by an intruding neighbor in 1895.

The word "harmony" may have more or less been abused, or used over-broadly, these days. Yet we see fine brainwork in theming the Qingdao celebration around "harmonious seas." The "maritime fiesta," as some addressed it, is a nice way for the PLAN to show its commitment to peace.

That the PLAN finally decided to come out of the long shadow of mysteries is something to celebrate. By displaying some of its deadliest secretes, it demonstrates a willingness to eliminate misgivings and promote understanding. That is a good way of building confidence.