Manchester City’s owners have bought a stake in Chinese third-tier club Sichuan Jiuniu FC – their seventh football club.
City Football Group purchased the club alongside artificial intelligence and humanoid robotic company UBTECH and China Sports Capital.
They are already majority owners of New York FC and Melbourne City FC.
Other investments include Yokohama F Marinos in Japan, Club Atletico Torque in Uruguay and La Liga side Girona FC.
Based in the Sichuan Province in South West China, China League Two side Jiuniu play at the 27,000-seater Chengdu Longquanyi Football Stadium.
“We believe strongly in the future of football in China,” said City Football Group chief executive Ferran Soriano.
“We are making a long-term, sustainable commitment to grow and develop Sichuan Jiuniu FC and to nurture Chinese footballing talent.”
Sichuan Jiuniu, its latest addition, are based in the western Chinese metropolis of Chengdu, and play their home games at the Chengdu Longquanyi Football Stadium.
Chinese football was buoyed by an influx of funds and foreign stars after President Xi Jinping, who visited Manchester City in 2015, outlined ambitions to turn the world’s most populous nation into a global soccer power.