RIO DE JANEIRO, August 24 -- Brazil's women basketball national team head coach Antonio Carlos Barbosa said Thursday he believes the series of matches against China will be important for the preparation for the 15th FIBA World Championship for Women in 2006.

Brazil and China are among the 16 teams taking part in the event, which will take place in the metropolitan region of Sao Paulo, Brazils largest city, from September 12-23.

As a warm-up for the World Championship, Brazil will play two matches against China on September 2 and 3 in Barueri, in Sao Paulo metro region. The friendly matches are part of a challenge organized by Brazil team's main sponsor, state-owned company Eletrobras.

The two teams will have another chance to play against each other before the World Championship, at II Eletrobras International Cup, which will also feature Spain and Canada from September 6-9, in the city of Guarulhos, also in Sao Paulos metro region.

According to Barbosa, the timing of the matches against China is positive, as it will be an opportunity to seriously evaluate the players' performance following Brazil's winning of the South American Championship title in the beginning of August.

"China is a great opponent. Although it is an Asian team, they are not so fast and the players are very tall. Last year, we bet them in a match in Greece," said Barbosa.

During the World Championship, Brazil and China will meet again only if they make it to the quarter-finals, as they are in different groups of the competition.