Swimmers race across sea from Xiamen to Kinmen

After a three-year suspension because of COVID-19, the Xiamen-Kinmen Cross-Strait Swimming Competition resumed on Saturday, with 200 competitors from the Chinese mainland, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macao racing across open water from Xiamen, Fujian province, to Kinmen, Taiwan.

The seven-kilometer race, the 11th installment of the event since 2009, was divided into three groups — two for men and one for women. As in previous years, the competition was a relay of two swimmers.

To ensure the safety of the athletes, the organizing committee had formulated a security, emergency and medical response plan involving 115 cross-Strait rescue support vessels and 263 life-saving support personnel to provide "one-for-one" support for competitors.

The sixth Xiamen-Kinmen Youth Swimming Competition was held in late June in Xiamen. This supporting activity attracted 728 competitors from 22 teams from both sides.

Cross-Strait youth exchange activities were also organized, providing a platform for young people to interact.