With the technological might of the Chinese Armed Forces growing ever faster, military expert Vasily Kashin told Sputnik that the Chinese Navy is now the second strongest out there after the US Navy and, in terms of technology, is now breathing down the necks of its Western counterparts.

“China’s growing military potential has changed the balance of forces in Asia, and the People’s Liberation Army is now capable of conducting operations on a global scale,” Kashin said.

Kashin also noted the enormous sums of money that the Chinese government is spending on bolstering the country’s defense potential.

“This means that global interest in China’s military capability will keep growing,” he added.

When queried about the impact China’s participation in international army games has had on the country’s image, Vasily Kashin said that the Chinese Armed Forces have been actively involved in such events since 2008.

© REUTERS / China Daily Soldiers of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) get ready for the military parade to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the foundation of the army at Zhurihe military training base in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China, July 30, 2017

The Chinese forces have taken part in a number of international military competitions in Europe, Russia and some Asian countries.

“On the one hand, this gives them access to modern military management practices, operational doctrine and training, and logistics expertise. On the other, it helps them establish closer contacts with the outside world in terms of military cooperation. During these army games the Chinese military usually demonstrates a high degree of combat preparedness and personal motivation to be the best no matter what,” Kashin noted.

“If something doesn’t go as planned, they always learn from their mistakes and try to do better next time,” he added.

© REUTERS / China Daily Soldiers of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) take part in a military parade to commemorate the 90th anniversary of the foundation of the army at the Zhurihe military training base in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China, July 30, 2017

Aside from participating in regular military parades in their own country, Chinese soldiers have recently taken part in military parades also in Russia and Venezuela.

Vasily Kashin sees this as a sign of China’s more active military diplomacy.

“The Chinese seek ‘special military relations’ with countries they are politically close to. This includes exchanges of military personnel, military-technical cooperation, joint exercises and parades. At the same time, they want to hold more military parades in their own country, that’s why they are honing their combat skills and emulating foreign experience,” Vasily Kashin concluded.