A cross-Strait youth baseball invitational tournament was held in Liancheng county, Longyan, East China's Fujian province. [Photo provided to Chinadaily.com.cn]

Sun Lih-chyun, a member of the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee, said that encouraging cross-Strait exchanges and mutual understanding from a young age is important for the future peaceful and common development of the Chinese nation.

"Taiwan young people should not rely on second-hand information but come and see for themselves. Understanding each other is the best way to foster mutual understanding," he said.

Fang Ying-feng, a principal from a primary school in Taidong in Taiwan who is leading a team participating in the competition, said that the baseball fields on the mainland are excellent, and the skills of mainland elementary school students have improved significantly.