Taiwan player Li Zhenxuan (right) advances with the ball for Pingtan Team in the FJCL fixture.

The seventh round of the Fujian City Football League (FJCL) saw Pingtan take on Xiamen in an away match, marking a special moment for Pingtan player Li Zhenxuan, a footballer from Taiwan, who came off the bench to make his league debut.

"It's a great honor and I'm very happy to take part in the Fujian City Football League," Li said after the match. He added that the encouragement and support within the team had given him strong confidence, noting that every teammate played an important role on the pitch.

The league recently introduced a new policy allowing dedicated slots for players from Taiwan, with each participating team permitted to register up to two such players. Li, who has been passionate about football since childhood, is among the first group of Taiwan players to take part in this league's competition.

From his perspective, coming to the Chinese mainland to compete in football matches has been a worthwhile choice. He believes more young players from Taiwan will join competitions across the Chinese mainland in the future, and that the Fujian City Football League can serve as an entry point for those looking to pursue a football career.

He also noted that joining teams on the Chinese mainland is becoming increasingly common, pointing out that a shared language makes communication easier and reduces the need for major adaptation.

"More and more friends from Taiwan have told me they want to join the Fujian City Football League," Li said. He added that some hope to play professionally, while others are interested in coaching, support staff roles, or cheerleading, all eager to contribute to the league's development.

"Our mission is to share real experiences of life on the Chinese mainland," he said. "We want more young people in Taiwan to understand it directly, rather than being influenced by misinformation."

In recent years, more Taiwan sports teams and young athletes have participated in exchanges on the Chinese mainland. Competing on the same field has helped build understanding and friendships, injecting positive momentum into sports cooperation across the Taiwan Straits and contributing to stable and constructive cross-Straits relations.