QINGDAO: Chinese and British navies yesterday jointly conducted a maritime exercise off the coast of Qingdao, a port city in East China's Shandong Province.

It is the first Sino-British maritime exercise in the non-traditional security field.

Guided missile destroyer Harbin, fuel tanker Hongze Lake of the North Sea Fleet of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) joined in the exercise with the guided missile destroyer Exeter of the British Royal Navy.

The drill was directed by Zhang Panhong, chief of the general staff of the North Sea Fleet of PLAN and Rear Admiral David Snelson, chief-of-staff warfare and commander-in-chief of Britain's Royal Navy. Fifteen naval attaches to China from 15 countries invited for the first time by China observed the exercise from aboard the destroyer Harbin.

The exercise is divided into three stages: Communications exercise; fleet order changing; and search-and-rescue, including signalling and helicopter tactic manoeuvres.

Qian Lihua, deputy director of the Foreign Affairs Office of the Chinese Ministry of National Defence, said that China has strengthened its international and regional co-operation in non-traditional security fields in recent years.

China is devoted to promoting the new security concepts featuring mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and co-operation, he said.

Zhang Panhong said PLAN will continue to strengthen its exchanges and co-operation with foreign counterparts for the peace and security of the Asian-Pacific region and the world.

Qian said China is now more co-operative with the international community in fighting terrorism and safeguarding national security, because of growing threats in the non-traditional security field.

Ouyang Wei, a strategic expert from the National Defence University, said the series of military manoeuvres reflected a step forward by the Chinese armed forces to implement new security concepts featuring mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and co-operation.

(China Daily 06/21/2004 page1)