Students from Wuxi Special Education School warm up for the opening ceremony. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

Liu Xia, deputy mayor of Wuxi municipal government, addressed the ceremony and expressed her hope that the match would improve the baseball skills of both sides and strengthen exchanges between the cross-Straits youths.

"Baseball has a long history in Taiwan, and Wuxi completely supports its development. We expect more exchanges and mutual understandings through sports", said Liu Zhezhang, an official from Taiwan.

Lin Yiwei, an 11-year-old player from Taiwan, said that it is his first visit to Wuxi, and he hopes to learn baseball skills and gain more knowledge concerning the culture of the Chinese mainland.

"We are glad to have this precious chance to participate in the match and learn from the students of Taiwan", said two players from Wuxi Houqiao Primary School.