Chelsea have signed a four-year deal with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to develop football in China at grassroots level.
The Premiership champions will join the AFC's 'Vision Asia' project that aims to raise standards of football in Asia.
They will work solely with the China market, and chief executive Peter Kenyon has hailed the signing of the deal as an historic day for Chelsea.
"Chelsea's vision is, by 2014, to be internationally recognised as the number one club," said Kenyon.
"And that cannot be achieved without serious participation in Asia.
"This is a long-term project and we are not going to see immediate returns. We are excited by the opportunity to accelerate the Vision Asia project, which we are very impressed with after seeing the work being done on the ground."
The agreement will allow the 10 best young players from select Chinese cities to train at Chelsea's Cobham academy.
The AFC Player of the Year will have the option to train in London for one month, while Chelsea will send coaches and administrators to China to improve the domestic set-up.
AFC president Mohamed Bin Hammam has praised Chelsea for coming forward to offer their support, insisting the deal did not offer the English club any financial guarantees.
"I must stress that this is not a business contract but a development programme," he explained.
"Chelsea are the first overseas club to approach us with the philosophy of giving, and not taking. Any support that provides a platform for greater success in Asian football is a good thing.
"At the moment, only Japan has a proper infrastructure in Asia. Some countries are not far behind while others have a long way to go.
"We hope Chelsea can help us with the expertise to improve the way clubs and leagues work in Asia."
asia is now the way to go
