Argentina: Buenos Aires promises subsidies to clubs that recruit Chinese players

Buenos Aires (Argentina) will offer subsidies to clubs that recruit Chinese players, announced Mauricio Macri, Buenos Aires' mayor, on 05/06/2014.

"We are launching this initiative with the desire to continue to build relationships and exchange opportunities with China, which is such an important country," said Macri, who is a former president of Boca Juniors. "We can foresee what it would mean for an Argentine team to become known in a country of 1.3bn people."

Four of the Argentine capital's clubs were present at the announcement and are affected by this initiative: River Plate, Boca Juniors, Velez Sarsfield and San Lorenzo, all of which operate in Argentine first division.

This announcement comes in parallel with the establishment of the first Chinese-Argentine bilingual kindergarten in Buenos Aires in partnership with the city of Beijing (China), on 05/06/2014. "China, with the world's second largest economy, is an economic ally for the development of Argentina," said Macri.

• Argentina (population 42m) has 120,000 Chinese immigrants.

Reactions from Porteño club presidents

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