The Sino-British maritime exercise concluded Sunday off the coast of Qingdao, port city in east China's Shandong Province.

Chinese warships "Harbin" and "Hongze Lake" and British warship "Exeter" completed all the scheduled programs including communication exercises, fleet order changing and search-and-rescue.

Qian Lihua, deputy director of the Foreign Affairs Office of Chinese Ministry of National Defense, said China has strengthened its international and regional cooperation in nontraditional security fields in recent years.

China is devoted to promoting the new security concept featuring mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and cooperation, he said.

Zhang Panhong, chief of the general staff of the North Sea Fleet of People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), said PLAN will continue to strengthen its exchanges and cooperation with foreign counterparts for peace and security of the Asian Pacific region and the world.

After the exercise, the British fleet continued their voyage for their next destination, the Republic of Korea.

(Xinhua News Agency June 20, 2004)