Chinese commander urges international naval trust

Wu Shengli, commander of the PLA navy, chats with Jonathan Greenert, the US navy's chief of naval operations, on the sidelines of the Western Pacifi c Naval Symposium in Qingdao, Shandong province, on Tuesday.[Photo by Feng Yongbin / China Daily]

Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy Commander Wu Shengli has called for a deepening of trust between navy leaders from different countries to avoid strategic miscalculation and to manage disputes.

Wu made the remarks on Tuesday when delivering a keynote speech at the biennial meeting of the Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS) in the Chinese port city of Qingdao.

He said there should be institutionalized exchanges of visits by high-level navy leaders from different countries. Navy think-tanks should also engage in more dialogue, and learn about each others' policy directions and major concerns so as to consolidate mutual trust.

Wu also called for efforts to extend the influence of the WPNS and for more cooperation under the framework in areas including emergency relief and rescues.

As evidence of such cooperation, he cited the fact that countries in Western Pacific region embarked on coordinated maritime searching immediately following the loss of contact with Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 and the recent sinking of a South Korean ferry.

Wu also called on member countries of the WPNS to exchange views on issues such as quotas of rescue forces allowed entry into another country under such circumstances, material delivery and epidemic prevention.

The WPNS was established in 1987 with the goals of promoting pragmatic cooperation between the navies of its member countries, strengthening mutual understanding and trust, and safeguarding regional maritime security. It comprises navies whose countries border the Pacific Ocean region.

This is the first time that China, one of the 12 founding members of the WPNS, has hosted its biennial symposium.