Manchester City have made inroads into China with the City Football Group (CFG) acquisition of third-tier club Sichuan Jiuniu.
CFG, which owns the Premier League champions, has bought the Chengdu-based side as part of a joint-purchase deal involving China Sports Capital and robotics firm UBTECH.
City chief executive Ferran Soriano said in a statement on Wednesday: "Today marks an exciting new chapter in the growth of City Football Group. China is an extremely important football market, which we have been focused on for some time.
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"We believe strongly in the future of football in China.