Qingdao, China, April 21st, Reuters. The Chinese Navy on Sunday kicked off a biennial meeting of top foreign naval officials in the port city of Qingdao, in a show of military diplomacy that will be closely watched for signs of more engagement between China and the United States. The four-day event with delegations from 30 countries comes during heightened tensions in the South China Sea, as US Treaty Al-Ai Manila is in an increasingly fraught standoff with Beijing over the strategic waterway, which could be a potential flashpoint for you as China relations.