In line with UN resolutions, China dispatched naval ships to conduct escort operations in the Gulf of Aden and waters off Somalia on Dec 26, 2008. As of July 2012, the Chinese Navy had dispatched 12 fleets on escort missions. In the past decade, the People's Liberation Army has been an important part of China's development. In 2003, when Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) hit the nation, the army built Xiaotangshan Hospital in seven days and nights; after the Sichuan earthquake in May 2008, the army ran to the rescue and saved many lives; during the 2008 Beijing Olympics and Shanghai 2010 World Expo, the army helped maintain security. [Photo/Xinhua]