On Tuesday afternoon, a grand naval parade concluded in waters off east China's port city of Qingdao, after the reviewing ship sailed past the last visiting foreign vessel.

The parade is part of the multinational naval events marking the 70th anniversary of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy, which was founded on April 23, 1949.

Xi Jinping, Chinese President and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, held a meeting with the heads of foreign delegations participating in the multinational naval events marking the 70th anniversary of the PLA Navy in Qingdao on Tuesday. 

He called for joint efforts to address common threats and challenges faced by mankind in the world's oceans and build a maritime community with a shared future.

"The security of the world should be achieved on the basis of cooperation instead on the basis of military," said Professor Zhu Chenghu from the PLA National University while speaking highly of Xi's advocacy for a maritime community with a shared future.

In Zhu's opinion, although the importance of cooperation has been recognized by the international community in the long run, Xi's concept of building a maritime community with a shared future is totally different from the collective security which is advocated by most of the countries in the West.

From Zhu's perspective, Xi's advocacy to build a maritime community with a shared future is a unique proposition because it's a moral commitment for the sake of the whole of humanity. As he points out, Xi's support allows and enables people from different countries with different cultural backgrounds to co-benefit from the discoveries that can come from ocean explorations, accessing shared and valuable resources. The ultimate goal of Xi's calling, as Zhu noted, is to achieve sustainable development within all countries, regardless of its size and socio-economic context.

"I believe that in this respect, we have to share the future," Zhu told CGTN and he pointed out that Xi's advocacy is very conducive to the promotion of world peace and stability.

The past 70 years have witnessed the growth of China's Navy.

Zhu believes that it is a feather in China's cap. He also pointed out that the Navy will play a large role in China's national security in the future.

According to Zhu, the Taiwan Strait crisis in the late 1990s was a turning point for China's navy, because it was closely related to the integrity of China's territory and national security. It is the crisis that drove China to focus its efforts on developing its navy, including improving personnel training and expanding resources for updating weaponry.

"So at present, I think the navy (Chinese Navy) is very important in safeguarding China's national security, as well as regional security, East Asia and world peace," Zhu told CGTN.

Apart from China's national security, Zhu also argued that the navy is also actively involved in providing public goods to the world community.

"I believe that the Navy has played a very important role in this regard," Zhu told CGTN

In recent years, the Chinese people have been getting familiar with the idea of going from offshore to blue water. In the wake of globalization, Zhu identifies oceans as a vital platform for security. A powerful navy would be a key factor in China's national security and economic development.

"I think Chinese saw the importance of blue water navy. Therefore, we increased the input in the development of the navy. And therefore, in recent years, we have seen the launch of different warships and aircraft carriers and even the strategic spring," Zhu told CGTN.

In addition to simply advancing China's national interests, Zhu asserts the Chinese navy has a role to play on the international stage: opening opportunities for cooperation with other nations and the fulfillment of international obligations, such as providing aid in cases of natural and man-made disasters.