China-US youth baseball builds lasting friendship

The 2026 China-US Youth Baseball Exhibition Games and Sports Festival opened on Monday in Fuzhou, capital of East China's Fujian province, uniting young players to bolster people-to-people exchanges and mutual understanding.

The event serves as a major grassroots project aimed at implementing China's initiative to invite 50,000 young Americans to the country over a five-year period. Through sports competitions, campus visits, cultural experiences, and historical studies, it aims to further enhance friendship and mutual learning between youths from both nations.

Peng Qinghua, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, attended the opening ceremony, calling on them to build a bridge through sports and to carry forward the historical bonds of Kuliang across generations.

Kuliang is a scenic summer resort in Fuzhou where stories of friendship between the Chinese and American people date back over a century ago, a legacy that is kept alive by "Friends of Kuliang"— descendants of early American residents who frequented Fuzhou to retrace their family roots and sustain cross-cultural dialogue.

Lu Yun, a player from the Fujian Provincial Baseball Team, said that baseball is known as a sport of "returning home" because the final base is called "home".

"As players gather at the foot of Kuliang today, it also symbolizes a homecoming," he noted.

"Baseball brings people together," said Hadi Houalla, a Yale University student and Virginia club player, adding that he and his fellow American students hold a deep desire to understand Chinese civilization, cuisine and people.

Benjamin Yang, a student from the Flying Tigers friendship program who was born and raised in the US, said he was excited to see giant pandas and ancient Chinese architecture, praising the warm hospitality of the local people.

Jointly hosted by the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the General Administration of Sport of China, and the Fujian provincial government, the festival has gathered around 400 participants, including eight youth baseball teams from both countries.

Running until July 2, the event will see teams compete in Pingtan and visit eight local schools for cultural and sci-tech interactive activities. The youth will also tour local historical landmarks, including Kuliang and Sanfang Qixiang, to experience the city's cultural heritage.