Germany’s leading football club Bayern Munich announced on Thursday that they will open a full-time football academy in China's southern city of Shenzhen, in Guangdong Province.

The decision comes as China strives to become a leading football power, and is establishing a number of training schools in conjunction with top overseas clubs in order to improve the level of coaching in youth football. 

The project was jointly launched by Bayern and the city-owned Shenzhen Investment Holdings Company and the agency China Sports Futurity, and the academy aims to bring Bayern's youth development knowledge and expertise to Chinese coaches and players.

"Chinese football has huge potential, and we want to contribute and thus expedite the evolution of Chinese football by sharing our football philosophy and experience," said Jorge Wacker, board member for internationalization and strategy at Bayern Munich.

China has drafted plans to develop into a football power. This has opened huge opportunities for foreign football clubs to cooperate with Chinese counterparts and investors in the football industry, especially in youth training.

Brazilian football club Santos announced in early March that it will build a football academy to develop young talent and coaches in conjunction with Sun Yat-sen Experimental Middle School in Zhongshan, Guangdong.