Forging bonds across the straits

And some of his friends studying at Beijing University of Chinese Medicine are allowed to take qualification exams to permit them to practice their profession in the mainland now.

Although he was brought up in Changhua, Taiwan, for the first 22 years of his life, Chen decided to stay in Beijing for the past few years, not only because he married a woman from Central China's Henan province last year, but also because he has witnessed a surge in demand by local consumers for sport products since he first arrived in 2011.

"I aspire to apply my knowledge and experience of advanced sports management I acquired in Taiwan to the large niche market here," says Chen.

He aims to organize various sports contests across the Straits, in an effort to narrow the gap between young people from both sides, in every sense.

Chen felt increasingly responsible for developing mutual understanding between the two sides after he was voted as the leader of the youth department in the Cross-Straits Exchange Association, an NGO registered in Taiwan.

The youth department involves more than 3,000 students from 25 or so universities in Beijing, according to Chen.

The association regularly offers Taiwan students opportunities to visit the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council where they speak about the problems they face, so that the government can find solutions to the problems.