When visiting a German pharmaceutical company yesterday, Mr. Xi Jinping was given a Bayer Leverkusen jersey with his name printed on as a gift. And the outspoken vice president takes on Chinese football this time.

“The level of Chinese football is relatively low,” said Mr. Xi. “But after wining so many golds in other sports at the Beijing Games, China is determined to make its football go to the top level (搞上去). But this might take a long time.”

Below’s Mr.Xi’s talk in Chinese via Youku:

Dear Mr.Xi, in case it could help, here’s my piece on Chinese football for the Global Times. So get ready, Chinese footballers! Let’s rock them all in the 2014 Brazil World Cup!

Update 1 – CCTV, China’s nationwide broadcaster under direct control of the CCP, answers the vice president a day after his talk. The station will for the first time air a Chinese Super League game on its Channel One this weekend.

Check out our earlier post for the love-and-hate relationship between the two. And Go here for a Beijing Guoan supporter’s coverage of the league.

Previously:

• How China’s Transfer Rules Made Footballers Untransferable
• EPL’s back for free in China

Links and Sources:

• Danwei: Well-fed foreigners pointing fingers
• Youku video: Xi Jinping’s take on Chinese football (Chinese)
• Chengdu Evening News via NetEase: CCTV 1 to broadcast Chinese Super League (Chinese)
• Global Times: ‘Professional’ Chinese football is a joke