‍Tuesday marks the 70th founding anniversary of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, and all eyes are on Qingdao as week-long celebrations are expected to culminate in a naval parade in the eastern coastal Chinese city.

Commandant Xu Hui with the National Defense University told CGTN the location was chosen because of its rich experiences.

"Up to now, we have conducted five successful naval parades in China. Four of them are held in Qingdao," Xu said. "Also, the waters here (in Qingdao) are relatively peaceful than the South China Sea or other areas."

Looking back, it took a lot of hard work for the PLA Navy to become what it is today. The army has gone from near-sea operations all the way to the ocean, and even into the air.

"When I graduated from school, I was on a submarine that weighed around 300 tons. This destroyer weights 6,000 tons. It is not just about its tons, but it shows that our equipment improved," Commissar of Guiyang Destroyer Xu Jianfeng said.

Last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for more efforts to be carried out for a stronger navy through restructuring and modernizing so as to shoulder their responsibility to safeguard its people. The PLA has responded to the call by putting in massive efforts since.

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In addition, the PLA has also taken on greater responsibilities.

It has conducted escort missions for thousands of ships over the past 10 years.

Because of its work, the Gulf of Aden and Somalian coastal waters – once the playgrounds for violent pirates – are no longer feared by international shipping companies.