SHIJIAZHUANG - The People's Liberation Army (PLA) carried out an open bidding on Thursday for the purchase of 35 pieces of equipment in Shijiazhuang, capital city of Hebei Province, military sources said.

More than 20 bidders, including private enterprises, took part, according to a statement released by the PLA General Armament Department.

This is the first time that weain.mil.cn, the PLA military weapon procurement website, has been used for competitive bidding.

Since the website was launched in January, the department has released items for tender including containers for maintenance supplies and weapon kits.

The items released for tender have been valued at around 90 million yuan (14.53 million U.S. dollars), according to the statement.

To ensure fairness and transparency, Thursday's bidding was assessed by panelists selected randomly from a database. The results will be published on the website at a later date.

The website provides information on PLA weapon and armament needs, relevant policies, procurement notices, enterprise lists and technology.

Private enterprises, military purchasing departments and military industry groups as well as personnel can register on the website for consultation and further information.

The platform was established to accelerate armament procurement system reform, break procurement barriers, improve competitiveness and promote efficiency, said the statement.