U.S. Consulate General Press Releases (2007)

PLA Garrison and USS Reagan Sailors Share Ping-Pong Skills

News Release
March 12, 2007
Monday

A team of sailors from the aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan played a friendly table tennis tournament with officers and soldiers of the People's Liberation Army Hong Kong Garrison on March 9.  This is the second time the U.S. and Chinese militaries in Hong Kong have shared sports skills during a port call.  The Chinese team proved more powerful, but both sides enjoyed the opportunity to practice.  After the tournament, Lieutenant Tom Wait of the USS Ronald Reagan said it was a "rare honor to interact with the Chinese military."

Photo Gallery

Major General Wang Yuren, the PLA Garrison's Chief of Staff, played a friendly match with the Commanding Officer of the USS Ronald Reagan, Captain Terry Kraft.  The two met last June when the Reagan crew was invited to play a basketball match with the PLA Garrison.

The tournament, held at the Garrison's headquarters in Central, was an opportunity for junior US Navy sailors to meet with their Chinese military counterparts across the table.

After the one-hour tournament, both sides exchanged souvenirs and posed for photographs.  The American team, led by Rear Admiral Charles Martoglio, the Ronald Reagan Strike Group Commander, was comprised of many sailors with Asian heritage who grew up playing Ping Pong.  The strong Chinese team included the Deputy Force Commander Major General Dong Wenjiu and PLA officers from across China.

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