The game will be played on May 14 at Jiangwan Stadium and will be broadcast live throughout China on CCTV as well as Channel 7 in Australia.

It marks the first time a match will be played for competition points outside Australia or New Zealand.

 “We are proud that Australian Football will play a bigger role in deepening the historic connections between Australia and The People’s Republic of China,” AFL boss Gillon McLachlan said.

“We believe we have the most exciting and athletic game in the world, and the chance to showcase our game in China is too good an opportunity to pass up.

“Our game exists in a global sporting market place, and this event is part of our broader strategy to reach into new markets, both inside Australia, and across our region.

“We have one million people of Chinese origin living in Australia, we have many students who chose Australia to live and study, and Chinese tourists are our number one visitors here, so reaching out to this community both here and abroad is critical for us as a game.”