Small said a MLB Development Center was set up in Wuxi, Jiangsu province, last September to target potential national team talent.

"The result of the long and important partnership between MLB and CBA for the past 10 years is nothing short of astonishing," Small said. "Several players went to play in the pro leagues in the US, the national team grew and most surprising is that more people play baseball today than before.

"The passion in kids we have seen shows that, no doubt, China will reach the goal of becoming a strong baseball nation," Small said, adding MLB's ultimate goal was to make the game a Chinese sport.

"Our goal is to not to have a foreign coach; it is to be played by the Chinese, coached by the Chinese and umpired by the Chinese."

On Saturday, the MLB Baseball Park will be held at the Beijing Solana, where people can go and experience the excitement of playing the game.

"The ballpark is a fine form of spreading the sport. The CBA will send national team players or local outstanding players to get involved in the project in order to let more people know about baseball," said Shen Wei, secretary-general of the CBA.

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