The flagship of the United States Seventh Fleet, USS Blue Ridge,
anchored out in the Victoria Harbor Monday morning for a scheduled
port visit, the first visit by an American ship to Hong Kong in
2008.
Blue Ridge Commanding Officer Captain David Lausman said, "Hong
Kong remains a favorite place for our sailors to visit, and we
appreciate Hong Kong's special status and all of the unique
international aspects of this beautiful city and port."
He said this visit offers the crew "a great opportunity for a
wide variety of cultural exchanges and recreational
activities."
Hong Kong-born Petty Officer Franky Ng, who moved to the United
States with his family in 1991, told reporters he has gone to many
Asian cities with the ship, and Hong Kong always remains his
favorite one because it is known as a paradise of dining and
shopping.
The 700 sailors aboard will go shopping and sight-seeing during
their stay.
USS Blue Ridge makes port calls frequently to cities throughout
the Western Pacific and the Indian Ocean including Hong Kong. The
ship also visited Shanghai in May of 1989, establishing warship
visit mechanism between China and the United States.
(Xinhua News Agency January 29, 2008)