Olympic champions to play baseball in Taiwan? Mainland university delegation itinerary revealed

At the invitation of the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation, a delegation of students and faculty from seven universities in the mainland, including Tsinghua University, will visit Taiwan from Nov. 27 to Dec. 5. The group includes Olympic table tennis gold medalist Ma Long, studying at Beijing Sport University, and Olympic shooting champion Yang Qian, a student at Tsinghua University.

The executive director of the Ma Ying-jeou Foundation, Hsiao Hsu-tsen, revealed details of the delegation's itinerary on Nov. 25. The group will visit six universities and one high school in Taiwan, including National Taiwan University, National Chengchi University, National Tsing Hua University, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Chang Gung University, Chinese Culture University, and Taipei Municipal Zhongshan Girls High School.

Additionally, the delegation will explore cultural landmarks such as the National Palace Museum and Jiufen, and participate in a baseball activity—a sport immensely popular in Taiwan.

The inclusion of Olympic champions Ma Long and Yang Qian has sparked excitement among Taiwanese fans, with some expressing plans to take time off to catch a glimpse of their idols.

The visit is a reciprocal exchange following Ma Ying-jeou's April trip to the mainland, during which he led a group of Taiwanese students to engage with Chinese universities.

Hsiao emphasized the importance of fostering connections between young people on both sides of the Strait, describing students as the "seedlings" of cross-strait relations. He expressed hope that such exchanges would lay a solid foundation for the future.

Meanwhile, Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, noted that this visit reflects ongoing efforts to strengthen ties between young people across the Strait. Zhu urged Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party to lift restrictions on cross-strait exchanges and facilitate smoother interactions between young people from both sides. She added that frequent contact and dialogue would help deepen understanding and strengthen bonds.

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