One country's name "now appears set to emerge whenever the World Cup bidding process is mentioned," according to Simon Chadwick of the SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST. China will "continue to be mentioned until such time that the country eventually hosts the tournament." The country's "ambitions are clear." In its football development plan, published in '16, becoming a "leading" FIFA nation, hosting the World Cup and winning the trophy by '50 "have been identified as key Chinese targets." In theory, China cannot bid for the right to host the 2026 World Cup due to FIFA's rotation policy. Some "observers would argue nor should the country do so; although lavishly funded and vigorously pursued, China's football is still rather fragile and unlikely to be in a world-beating state within the next decade." That said, the Chinese government "may want to see a return on its football investment sooner rather than later." Furthermore, China's corporations have been "spending big" on supporting FIFA in moves that have had "a dual strategic purpose: to create a degree of financial dependence and to establish some control over decision-making networks." It is not "beyond the realms of possibility" that China may decide to exercise its "power and control" by making an early bid to stage the World Cup in '26. The "general feeling" from within China, however, is that '26 is "too soon for the country to realise its World Cup aspirations." It is "more likely there will be robust Chinese activity over the coming decade," which may ultimately result in a bid to stage the '30 tournament. An obstacle to this would still be that Asia "would not be able to host the World Cup as it would only be eight years since Qatar." However, FIFA's "financially lucrative" sponsorship deal with Wanda comes to an end in '30, and China is "likely to want a return on its investment in the form of a positive hosting decision by football's world governing body" (SCMP, 4/18).
