Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged "continued efforts to improve Chinese football" in a meeting on Wednesday with FIFA President Gianni Infantino in Beijing, "amid speculation that China may be planning a bid to host the World Cup," according to Shepherd & Wen of REUTERS. Xi said, "There is still a very large disparity in the general standard of China's football today compared to major footballing nations." Xi, "an avid football fan, has launched an ambitious drive to improve Chinese football from the ground up," and has spoken of his wish for China to "qualify for another World Cup, to host the tournament, and eventually to win one." Xi told Infantino that China was "cultivating a football culture for everyone, building world-class football schools and greatly expanding youth football," CCTV reported. Xi: "The true meaning of football is not just about competition, it is more about cultivating people's patriotism and collective fighting spirit" (REUTERS, 6/14). The AFP reported Xi and Infantino "did not mention China’s World Cup ambitions as they exchanged pleasantries before their closed-door meeting." Infantino thanked Xi, adding, "We can really start a new era of football, not only in China, President Xi, but in the whole world because we are really passionate about football." Infantino met on Tuesday with Wanda Chair Wang Jianlin (AFP, 6/14).
