PLA's military exchanges with foreign countries can be traced back to the era of the Red Army and the Communist International, especially the military exchange and cooperation with the Soviet Union. In October 1937, US reporter Edgar Snow published his book Red Star over China on the basis of his personal experience in Yan'an, the sacred place of Chinese revolution, which enabled the world, in particular Western countries, to recognize and understand the Chinese workers' and Peasants' Red Army, the predecessor of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA).  

　　After the founding of New China, the first troop unit of the PLA started to open up to the outside world in 1955 and it indicated that the PLA got a new window and platform to showcase the "mystic" troops to other countries.

　　In late 1980s, the PLA made more extensive and frequent exchanges with foreign countries under the background of reform and opening up of the nation. According to statistics, China has established military relations with 150-odd countries and set up military attaché offices in 107 countries by 2006, and 85 countries set up military attaché offices in China. Since 2005, senior military delegations of the PLA have visited 60-odd countries, at the same time, senior delegations of 100-odd countries headed by ministers of national defense, general commanders of three services and chiefs of general staff have visited China.

 Rear Admiral Xiao Xinnian(R), vice chief of staff of the South China Sea Fleet of the Chinese PLA (People's Liberation Army) Navy, shakes hands with Eiji Yoshikawa, chief of staff of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF), after arriving in Tokyo on Nov. 28, 2007. The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA)'s navy missile destroyer "Shenzhen" arrives in Tokyo Wednesday morning for a 4-day goodwill visit to Japan, Nov. 28, 2007. It's the first time for PLA vessels to visit Japan. (Xinhua Photo)

　　Since 2005, the PLA has sent its staff to inspect military exercises held in Turkey, Thailand, Pakistan, India, U.S. and Australia in succession. In September 2005, the PLA also invited 41 military observers and attaché to China from 24 countries to inspect the actual-troop confrontational exercise codenamed "North Sword 2005" organized by the Beijing Military Area Command. Since 2005, the Chinese naval ship formations successively visited Pakistan, India, the Thailand, the U.S., Canada and Philippines; the Thailand, the U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the U.K., Korea, France, Singapore and Peru have sent naval ships, in turn, to visit China in succession. Meanwhile, the PLA also organized the leading commanding officers from relevant departments of the general headquarters/departments of the PLA, the Navy, the Air Force, the Second Artillery Force, military area commands, combat divisions and brigades to inspect and study abroad, and assigned 500-odd military students to over 20 countries for study, while inviting more than 2000 military personnel from 140 countries to study in Chinese military colleges.

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