BEIJING, May 5 -- The Chinese navy's microblog account has gained more than 250,000 followers since its launch on April 22.

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) navy became the first branch of the military to launch a social media account.

The account is updated daily with the latest news from the navy and profiles of navy members and can be accessed at http://t.people.com.cn/planavy.

An unidentified publicity officer with the navy's political department told Xinhua that the social media account demonstrates the navy's transparency. The navy has more international interactions than other military branches, requiring higher transparency, he said.

The navy has been responsible for more non-military missions in recent years, including anti-pirate patrols in the Gulf of Aden and evacuating Chinese nationals from Yemen, which have mostly been carried out in international waters, the officer said, adding that the PLA needs a platform to release accurate information about these missions in a timely manner.

The account will also be used to respond to public inquiries about the navy.

Other information to be featured on the account includes the navy's foreign exchanges and major operations, according to the officer.