Fujian Cross-Strait Sports Gala Expands to National Event

What began as a modest provincial sports gathering in Pingtan, Fujian, in August 2023 has blossomed into a nationally-recognized platform for cross-strait athletic exchange. The Cross-Strait Sports Gala (海峡两岸体育嘉年华) has expanded from 25 events in 2024 to 44 premier events in 2026, spanning nearly 30 sports categories across all nine cities and one district of Fujian Province. According to People Daily, over 14,000 Taiwanese compatriots have participated in more than 300 premier events across the Gala’s four editions, making it the largest sports exchange activity in terms of Taiwanese participant numbers.

From Provincial Roots to National Platform

The Gala’s trajectory mirrors a deliberate strategy of cross-strait integration through sports. The event was first organized in August 2023 by the Fujian Provincial Sports Bureau and the Pingtan Comprehensive Experimental Zone Management Committee. Just one year later, it was upgraded to a national-level platform co-hosted by the All-China Sports Federation and the Fujian Provincial People’s Government.

This rapid elevation was underpinned by a landmark policy document: the September 2023 “Opinions of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Supporting Fujian in Exploring New Paths for Cross-Strait Integrated Development and Building a Demonstration Zone for Cross-Strait Integrated Development,” which explicitly called for cooperation in youth-specific sports such as baseball and softball. Fujian responded swiftly, establishing a “1+4+10” baseball and softball exchange service system—one provincial center, four high-level competition bases, and ten municipal centers—with dedicated annual funding.

More Than Just Games

The Gala’s significance extends far beyond the scoreboard. As Xiamen Net reported, the 2026 edition’s opening ceremony, held on June 12 at the Haicang Sports Center in Xiamen, featured performances blending sports, culture, and cross-strait heritage—from traditional dragon and lion dances to Taiwanese indigenous dance.

Ye Desheng, Director of the Fujian Provincial Sports Bureau, captured the philosophy behind the event: “Through major events as a medium, build a good exchange platform.” He added, “In competition, convey friendship; in cooperation, build consensus.”

Tangible Results on the Field

The most compelling evidence of the Gala’s impact comes from competitive results. The Fujian Haisha Baseball Team—the first cross-strait jointly-formed provincial baseball team, established in April 2024—won the China Baseball League Tianjin Station championship with an 8-1 record in 2025 and the Pingtan Station championship with a 7-0 record in 2026, finishing third overall in the finals. The team includes 16 Taiwanese coaches and athletes.

In football, the 2026 Fujian Provincial City Football League (“Min Chao”) opened two roster spots per team for Taiwanese players for the first time. Taiwanese player Zeng Juezhun scored the historic first goal for Quanzhou team, while Yang Zhibo scored for Pingtan team. As Phoenix News/CCTV News reported, Taiwanese youth Li Zhenxuan, who participated in the league, said: “Coming to the mainland is the right choice. Because the mainland and Taiwan share the same language, when you come to the mainland to develop, there are many things you don’t need to re-adapt to.”

Building a Lasting Framework

Perhaps the most significant achievement is the institutional framework being built around these events. Fujian has selected 300 linked schools for baseball and softball development, with over 400,000 primary and secondary school students now participating. As of early 2026, 200 schools had already been established, covering more than 380,000 students.

The Fujian Provincial Sports Bureau reports that Taiwanese coaches are now employed across multiple cities in Fujian, including Fuzhou, Xiamen, Longyan, and Pingtan. Dong Shihao, a Taiwanese baseball coach at Kuaiqi Primary School in Fuzhou, described his experience: “When I put on the team uniform, it really gave me a sense of belonging.” His school’s team won both Group A and Group B championships at the Fuzhou 62nd Primary and Secondary School Sports Meet Baseball Competition in July 2025.

What This Means

The expansion of the Cross-Strait Sports Gala represents a strategic approach to cross-strait relations through “soft power” channels. Sports—particularly baseball, Taiwan’s most popular sport—serves as a low-resistance, high-resonance entry point for people-to-people exchanges. The progression from “first stop” (first visit for competition) to “long-term stop” (employment and settlement) is a deliberate design of the integration framework.

As Jiang Peiqi, Chairman of the Fuzhou Haixia Professional Baseball Team, put it: “Through sports events, bring together children from both sides of the strait, from childhood to adulthood. In the many events and exchanges to come, as long as both sides of the strait join hands, beautiful sparks will surely burst forth.”

Looking Ahead

With the 2026 edition running from May through December, the Gala continues to grow. The “Sports + Cultural Tourism” integration model is creating sustainable economic incentives, and the focus on youth programs suggests a long-term strategy for cross-strait relations. Whether this model can be replicated in other provinces—and how Taiwanese participants perceive these exchanges beyond the official narrative—remain open questions worth watching.

For now, the message from Fujian is clear: sports can build bridges that politics cannot easily tear down.