The new approach to soccer

Government announces program aimed at development in five cities

The chronic underperformance of China on the international soccer stage has spurred the government to implement a more hands-on approach to the game.

To explore new avenues to develop soccer here, five cities - Qingdao, Chengdu, Guangzhou, Dalian and Wuhan - were chosen by the General Administration of Sport of China and the Chinese Football Association for a pilot program.