Navy Day in China Date in the current year: April 23, 2024

The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was founded in 1927 during the Nanchang Uprising of the Chinese Civil War. After the establishment of the People’s Republic of China in 1949, the country’s founding father and leader Mao Zedong asserted that China needed a powerful navy to oppose imperialist aggression. The PLA Navy was officially founded on April 23, 1949.

The present-day People’s Liberation Army Navy comprises the Submarine Force, Surface Force, Coastal Defense Force, Marine Corps, and Naval Air Force. It is divided into three fleets: the North Sea Fleet (based in the Yellow Sea and the Bohai Gulf, headquartered in Qingdao), the East Sea Fleet (based in the East China Sea, headquartered in Ningbo), and the South Sea Fleet (based in the South China Sea and the Gulf of Tonkin, headquartered in Zhanjiang). It is the second largest navy in the world, only behind the U.S. Navy.

Navy Day in China is marked with military parades, ceremonies and other events held at naval bases. Its main goal is to demonstrate the power of the PLA Navy and celebrate the accomplishments of its personnel.