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US Coast Guard Ship Makes Port Call to Shanghai
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The California-based US Coast Guard (CG) cutter Boutwell arrived in Shanghai on Thursday, kicking off a six-day visit at the invitation of China's Ministry of Public Security (MPS).

Boutwell is the second US Coast Guard cutter to visit China, after Rush, the first major U.S. Coast Guard vessel to make a port call in China since the World War II when it stopped at Qingdao last year.

The 115-meter-long Boutwell and its crew of about 180 were warmly welcomed by Chinese counterparts and local people on their arrival.

Major General Guo Shun of the MPS Border Control Department and Vice Admiral Charles D. Wurster of the US Coast Guard spoke at the welcoming ceremony.

"The most exciting part of the trip is the professional exchange with our Chinese counterparts in the border control department", Wurster said aboard the ship. He and his crew would work with Chinese counterparts on safety, security and environmental protection in the Pacific Ocean.

During Boutwell's stay in Shanghai, the two sides will conduct professional law enforcement exchanges to enhance international cooperation in law enforcement at sea, according to the MPS source.

Both Chinese and US law enforcement teams will hold a forum to discuss and demonstrate techniques for boarding and searching suspicious vessels, sharing information in combating maritime crime.

Boutwell crew members will also participate in friendly events such as basketball and cultural tours with Chinese counterparts to deepen mutual understanding, the source added.

The Coast Guard is part of the Department of Homeland Security of the United Sates.

Law enforcement cooperation is an important part of Sino-US ties. To enforce the China-U.S. agreement on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters, combating transnational crimes, narcotics trafficking, the return of fugitives and illegal emigration, China and the United States set up the Joint Liaison Group on law enforcement cooperation in 1998.

(Xinhua News Agency August 16, 2007)

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