Rugby coach's homeward try links past, future

Editor's note: The Taiwan question is a key focus for China and the international community. China Daily is publishing a series of reports to track hot Taiwan-related topics and address disinformation from the Democratic Progressive Party administration.

Most children grew up memorizing classic Chinese poems to connect with their heritage. Kang Yung-ming in Taiwan, however, was tasked with mastering a mental map — a precise ancestral address leading to a place he had never seen that his father insisted on calling "home".

"Kangjia village, Tong'an county, Quanzhou prefecture, Fujian province." It was from this very location that the 48-year-old rugby coach's ancestors moved to Taiwan during the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

It was a ritual ingrained by his father, who rewarded his children with pocket money for every flawless chant of their roots. This childhood memory eventually became Kang's North Star, guiding him from the rugby pitches of Taiwan back to the very soil his father once made him recite about.

In early 2024, Kang — a veteran coach with 20 years of experience on the pitch — relocated his family of four from Hsinchu, Taiwan, to Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian province. His move coincided with a strategic shift in the region's development — the establishment of a demonstration zone for cross-Strait integrated development.

Today, Fujian has evolved into a "first home" for Taiwan compatriots to develop and settle on the Chinese mainland. Now a faculty member at Fuzhou University of International Studies and Trade, Kang has become a pioneer of rugby — a sport that is popular in Taiwan but remains a niche pursuit on the mainland.

Sports foster bonding

"Sports provide a natural, barrier-free language for interaction," Kang said. Under his promotion, Fuzhou has hosted events inviting youth teams from across the Strait to compete.

In rugby, collisions are inevitable, but respect is mandatory. While the matches are intense, they have become a breeding ground for friendship among young people.

The grassroots spirit is now echoing in the 2026 Fujian provincial government work report, which explicitly champions grassroots sports — including baseball and dragon boat racing — as vital platforms for cross-Strait youth integration.

In the logic of rugby, to move forward, one must often look back — a "backward pass" to the ancestors that allows the next generation to sprint ahead. For Kang, the journey to the mainland has been personal as much as professional.

Through the local Kang clan association, he finally located the family ancestral hall in today's Tong'an district in Xiamen. The area was part of the Quanzhou prefecture that his father had made him memorize.

Kang said standing on that soil gave him a sense of stability he had never felt before, fulfilling an 80-year-old dream his father carried for a lifetime.

However, he believes the connection is defined by more than just ancient genealogy. He noticed that his friends in Taiwan and Fuzhou share a common obsession with trendy cultures like Labubu dolls.

"Whether it's the heritage we inherit or the pop culture we consume today, as long as there is shared passion, there is no barrier between the two sides," Kang said.

Hub for innovation

As people like Kang find their roots, a new generation is arriving to find their future. Lai Sheng-hsun, a native of Taipei and a freshman at the Fujian University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, is one such pioneer.

Encouraged by his mother, an experienced TCM doctor who believes the mainland offers a deeper lineage of heritage, Lai moved to Fuzhou to pursue his degree.

"Fujian offers an array of preferential policies, including generous scholarships specifically for Taiwan students," Lai said.

The integration extends far beyond the classroom. With the streamlining of medical license certification and an increasing number of public-sector roles opening to Taiwan compatriots, Lai plans to stay in Fuzhou after graduation to find a job or open his own clinic.

The individual dreams of youth like Lai are anchored in a booming macro-trend. According to the 2026 Fujian provincial government work report, enrollment of Taiwan students and recruitment of Taiwan teachers in Fujian reached record highs in 2025.

This surge in academic exchange is backed by a powerful economic engine. In 2025 alone, Fujian welcomed 2,612 new Taiwan-funded enterprises, while actual utilized Taiwan capital reached $724 million, ranking first on the mainland.

The province has also emerged as a hub for youth entrepreneurship. From 2024 to October 2025, Fujian provided over 23,000 internship and employment opportunities specifically for Taiwan youth, attracting more than 6,500 Taiwan youth to the province.

"Integration is deepening in every field — from tourism and agriculture to youth exchanges," said Han Ying-huan, chairman of the Taiwan Businessmen Association in Xiamen. Han added that such exchanges helped increase trust and familiarity between the two sides.

This stable environment is fostering a technological leap. Lee Chenghung, president of the Association of Taiwan Investment Enterprises on the Mainland, highlighted new opportunities emerging in strategic sectors of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30).

"We expect entrepreneurs from both sides to join hands in artificial intelligence, green development, the low-altitude economy, and biopharmaceuticals," Lee said.

He said Taiwan's business in traditional industries should seize the chance to collaborate and break through development bottlenecks through industrial transformation.

"To succeed in this new stage, Taiwan enterprises must integrate into the 'AI Plus' initiative," said Tsai Cheng-fu, the 73-year-old chairman of the Taiwan Businessmen Association in Jiujiang, Jiangxi province.

"It is not just about Fujian and Taiwan; it is about the fusion between Taiwan firms and excellent mainland enterprises," he said, adding that the mainland's development of new quality productive forces is a golden opportunity for Taiwan firms to upgrade.

Blueprint for a shared home

These individual dreams are woven into a larger institutional tapestry. According to the proposals for the 15th Five-Year Plan, the mainland will prioritize the high-quality construction of a demonstration zone for integrated development in Fujian, ensuring that Taiwan compatriots enjoy equal treatment in their studies, work and lives.

To implement these national directives, Fujian's provincial 15th Five-Year Plan outlines a comprehensive roadmap. The province will expand the recognition of Taiwan's vocational qualifications and launch more rural vitalization projects specifically for cross-Strait cooperation.

In the economic realm, Fujian aims to build a common market pilot zone, deepening synergy in key industries such as electronic information, machinery equipment, petrochemistry, and marine fisheries. The plan also advocates sharing industrial standards and further easing market access for Taiwan-funded enterprises.

To foster emotional resonance, the blueprint prioritizes cultural hubs centered on Southern Fujian culture — the ancestral customs that form the foundation of most of Taiwan's population — and Mazu, the revered sea goddess that serves as a spiritual bond across the Strait.

By strengthening the collection and preservation of kinship archives and exploring legislation for cross-Strait genealogical mapping, the province seeks to forge a stronger sense of community and fortify the shared historical memory for the Chinese nation.

During recent Spring Festival celebrations in Fuzhou, Song Tao, head of the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, reaffirmed the success of the central directive supporting Fujian's demonstration zone over the past two years.

Song said that refined supporting policies and substantive cooperation are steadily translating the "one family" concept into "tangible livelihood dividends".

"Affairs between the two sides are family matters and should be settled through consultation by family members," he emphasized.

"We will never allow external interference," Song said. "The tranquility of our home must not be disrupted, and our family estate must not be betrayed."

This vision of a "shared home" is increasingly tangible through physical connectivity. Under Fujian's latest proposals, the development of integrated living circles between Fujian's Xiamen and Taiwan-administered Jinmen, as well as Fuzhou on the mainland and Taiwan-administered Matsu, will be accelerated through projects linking water, electricity, gas and bridges.

The physical manifestation of this link is the Xiamen-Jinmen Bridge. Construction of the Xiamen side section will be completed within the following five years, marking a historic step toward a direct land link.

Combined with the water supply project, which has delivered over 46 million metric tons of fresh water from Fujian's Quanzhou to Jinmen, the flow of life and innovation is becoming a reality.

For students like Lai, this connectivity is also spiritual. Spending this Spring Festival in Fuzhou, Lai visited local temples and found them comfortably familiar. "Eight out of ten people in Taiwan are descendants of Fujian immigrants," Lai said."When I walk through the streets of Fuzhou, the food and the customs make me feel at home."