Manchester City opens second China office

Manchester City's fans watch from the stand during the pre-game training ahead of the 2016 International Champions Cup match between Manchester City and Manchester United at Olympic Sports Centre Stadium on July 24, 2016 in Beijing, China. [Photo/VCG]

English Premier League team Manchester City has expanded its presence in China by opening up a new office in Shenzhen.

City Football Group, the holding company known as CFG that owns the club, has set up the operation and signed an agreement to run soccer programs in the city.

The office is charged with growing the club's fanbase in China, and securing commercial partners. It is the second office the club has opened in China.

In 2016 Manchester City, who are currently second in the Premier League table behind Liverpool, became the first non-Chinese club to open an office on the Chinese mainland, in Shanghai.

"Shenzhen is an important and growing city at the heart of the Greater Bay Area," said Damian Willoughby, senior vice-president of partnerships at CFG. "Our presence in the region will play an important role in our continued growth."

CFC has also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Shenzhen Sports, Culture and Tourism Bureau to work together to deliver grassroots soccer programs in Shenzhen.

The move contributes to the continuing growth of Manchester City's footprint in China, which has expanded significantly since 2015.

That year, a Chinese consortium led by China Media Capital bought a 13 percent stake in CFG for $400 million, since when Manchester City has signed a number of commercial partnerships with Chinese companies, including artificial intelligence and robotics company UBTECH and content service provider BNN Technology.

Over the past two years, CFC has partnered on programs in which 40 coaches from the UK have worked in primary and secondary schools across 15 Chinese cities and provinces. The programs have delivered soccer coaching sessions to 400,000 Chinese children, and 3,000 school teachers, according to CFG.

CFG has also supported two Unified Football projects in Beijing and Guangzhou. The projects have worked directly with more than 1,800 children, most of whom are from special schools in the two cities.

It is rumored that CFG is also exploring adding a Chinese Super League club to its growing franchise of soccer teams around the world.

In 2013 CFG launched a North American Major League Soccer team, New York City FC, from scratch. The following year, CFG bought a club in Australia that it rebranded as Melbourne City FC, and the year after, CFG purchased a 20 percent stake in Japanese side Yokohama F. Marinos.

Andy Burnham, mayor of Manchester, accompanied the CFG delegation to the official opening of the new office near One Shenzhen Bay.

"City Football Group's work in Shenzhen demonstrates the football organization's commitment to China," he said.

"I can't help but be impressed by how football in the country is undergoing a revolution. The ambition of CFG matches that of the football authorities in China — it's a perfect partnership."

In 2016, the Chinese Football Association released a 50-point, 35-year plan aimed at developing the sport to turn China into a footballing powerhouse.

China's women's national team have been runners-up in the 1996 Olympic and 1999 World Cup tournaments, but the men's side have not matched their success, only once qualifying for the FIFA World Cup, in 2002, when the squad included Manchester City player Sun Jihai.