The commander of a Singaporean frigate speaks to reporters upon his arrival in Qingdao, East China's Shandong province, April 20. A total of seven vessels arrived at the port of Qingdao in East China's Shandong province on Sunday morning ahead of the 14th annual meeting of the Western Pacific Naval Symposium (WPNS), which the PLA's navy is expected to launch on Tuesday. This is the first time that China has hosted the event, which was first held in 1987 as a forum where naval officers of Pacific countries can meet biennially to discuss initiatives to address regional and global maritime issues. [Photo by Peng Yining/China Daily]