China might be absent from this year's World Cup, but the country has long-term ambitions of not only reaching the tournament, but someday winning it. One of the biggest parts of that journey involves developing the sport from the bottom up, through efforts like sending coaches abroad for hands-on training in some of the sport's top countries. One of those is England, where Richard Bestic has this report.

Coaches from across China pursuing England's footballing philosophy. An advance guard on English soil in a Chinese government-led program, chasing success by identifying differences.

FENG YAN CHINESE HIGH SCHOOL COACH "Here they focus on a child's creativity and decision-making. In China we focus on orders and skills, but when they get older, that lack of decision-making against strong opposition means players don't know what to do."

Those shortcomings were cruelly on display when China's national side this year lost 6–0 to Wales, a country of just three million people. Chinese President Xi Jinping here visiting the home of English Premier League side Manchester City during his U.K. State Visit has made no secret of his love of the so-called "beautiful game". But he's also identified that, with a population of 1.4 billion, China should be a footballing powerhouse.

While millions are already being ploughed into the Chinese Super League, Xi Jinping has said investment at a grass-roots level needed, targeting the upcoming generations. Promising 50,000 football academies and 20,000 new football pitches by 2030 -- the goal -- nothing less than winning the World Cup by 2050. English F.A. coaches here say part of China's success in the future must be making the game fun for the kids in school playing it.

BARRY SQUIRES FOOTBALL STUDY PROGRAM INSTRUCTOR "Yeah football is very creative. They need to be able to have the children in China express themselves to be creative. What we're trying to instill within the coaches is to praise the children. Let them be expressive, let them enjoy the game, let them understand the teamwork and the discipline element will come with that."

RICHARD BESTIC BOURNEMOUTH "If but most likely when China emerges onto the international football stage at an elite level, it will be quite literally a game-changing event, both financially and, of course, in the pursuit of that elusive golden prize, the World Cup. Until then, their thinking is somewhere else. 'Come on England!' Richard Bestic on England's South Coast with the potential future for Chinese football."