Chronicle of the PLA NAVY

September 1988

A Type 09II nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine carries out underwater launches of a sea-based ballistic missile, marking the first successful underwater launch by the Navy's sea-based nuclear deterrence force.

April 1989

CNS Zhenghe, a training ship carrying Vice-Admiral Ma Xinchun, commander of the North Sea Fleet, visits Hawaii, marking the Navy's first visit to the West.

May 1994

CNS Harbin, the first of China's Type 052 class guided-missile destroyers and also the first of the Navy's second-generation large warships, is delivered to the North Sea Fleet. At the time, it is the Navy's most powerful combatant vessel.

August 1995

A three-vessel flotilla makes a weeklong stay in Indonesia to take part in a multinational naval activity to honor the island country's 50th Independence Day. It is the first time the Navy has participated in a multinational naval event.

Oct 19, 1995

The Navy conducts a sea parade, the second in its history, in the Yellow Sea following a live-fire exercise the same day. President Jiang Zemin inspects the parade.

Feb 20, 1997

Two guided-missile destroyers and a supply ship under the command of Vice-Admiral Wang Yongguo, commander of the South Sea Fleet, set sail from Zhanjiang, Guangdong, to visit the US, Mexico, Peru and Chile. It is the first time the Navy has sent vessels to the continental US and South America.

February 1999

CNS Shenzhen, a guidedmissile destroyer, the first and only in the Type 051B class, is commissioned to the South Sea Fleet. At the time, the Shenzhen is the Navy's biggest and mightiest combatant ship.

Aug 23, 2001

Two vessels — the Shenzhen and CNS Fengcang, a supply ship — set sail from Shanghai to visit Germany, the United Kingdom, France and Italy. The voyage lasts about three months, signaling the Navy's first visit to Western Europe.

May 15, 2002

CNS Qingdao, a destroyer, and CNS Taicang, a supply ship, set sail from Qingdao to begin the Navy's first global voyage, lasting 132 days. The ships sail more than 60,000 kilometers, stopping at 10 nations, including Singapore, Greece and Brazil.

Aug 23, 2005

Advanced warships conduct a joint sea parade with Russian naval vessels after a joint drill off the Shandong Peninsula.