PRESIDENT Xi Jinping met with FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Wednesday at the Great Hall of the People in the heart of Beijing.

Xi, an avid soccer fan, noted that the Chinese Government attached great significance to the development of soccer and provided strong and consistent support for the sport, although China has lagged far behind traditional soccer powerhouses for years in terms of both the sport’s domestic popularity and competence on the pitch.

China’s central reform group, which is chaired by President Xi, approved a reform plan in February 2015 in an effort to inject life into its soccer culture. The reforms involve almost every aspect of the sport, including the management system, professional clubs, professional leagues, the national teams and grass-roots soccer.

China’s blueprint for soccer includes plans to make the game accessible to over 30 million primary and secondary school children by 2020, as well as creating up to 20,000 soccer schools and laying 70,000 pitches. The Chinese Government’s target is to ensure that there will be one soccer pitch for every 10,000 people by 2030.

“We are promoting the philosophy of soccer among the whole society. The reform of the sport’s management system is also well under way. More efforts are being made in youth soccer programs, the construction of soccer pitches and international exchanges. We hope to raise the standard of Chinese soccer step by step, and lend support to Chinese people’s pursuit of the Chinese dream,” said Xi.

Xi also thanked Infantino for his support for soccer development in China.

“President Infantino, since becoming the president of FIFA, you have provided great support to the development and reform of soccer as a sport in China,” said Xi. “I wish to express my appreciation for what you have done.

“We are aware of the fact that FIFA is paying more attention to the development of soccer in China these days, and I do believe that China-FIFA cooperation has a good future,” he added.

Speaking after the meeting, the FIFA president said: “I was very honored to meet with President Xi today and we shared many opinions and ideas about the development of football, not only in China, but throughout the world. Today marks the kickoff of a new and closer cooperation between China and FIFA. China will play an important role in improving access to the game and we are grateful to President Xi for his support in this matter. We look forward to many future projects together.”(SD-Xinhua)