With the AFC Women's Asian Cup 2026 just around the corner, China and Australia are actively looking to strengthen sporting, cultural and people-to-people ties through soccer engagement activities.

Scheduled to take place from March 1 to 21, the AFC showpiece will see 12 teams in action across Australia, with games being hosted in Sydney, Perth and the Gold Coast. The Chinese women's team, nicknamed the Steel Roses by its fans, is aiming to defend the title it won in India in 2022.

"The history of football competition between Australia and China has been long, particularly in the women's game, and the Chinese women's national team has been a powerhouse in football for a very long time," said commentator Grace Gill, herself a former Australian women's international.

Born in Darwin, Gill rose through the youth ranks and has a long connection with China. In 2007, she represented Australia at the AFC Under-19 Women's Championship in Chongqing, and made her senior debut for the Matildas, as the Aussie national team is known, against Hong Kong the same year.

Today, she is one of the most influential voices in Australian soccer broadcasting, serving as a commentator and analyst for Network 10's coverage of the men's and women's A-Leagues, as well as international matches featuring the Aussie men — the Socceroos — and the Matildas.

In March 2023, Grace participated in the FIFA Women's World Cup Trophy Tour in China.

Gill points out that, in soccer terms, the two nations are already close, making it easy for youth and senior setups to increase exchanges. While a number of Chinese players have, and are currently, representing Australian league sides, Australian coaches are also active in China's soccer scene, including Ante Milicic, who joined the Steel Roses' setup as head coach in May 2024.

"What we've seen in recent years is that the relationship (between the two nations) is building and it will continue," said Gill.

To further deepen bilateral soccer exchanges and prepare both nations' teams for upcoming matches, the Young Socceroos will travel to China for two matches against its men's U20 national team as part of the recently announced Australia-China Friendship Series.

Supported by the Australian government through the National Foundation of Australia-China Relations, the series will represent the third major soccer engagement between the two nations in March, together with the AFC Women's Asian Cup and the biennial invitational tournament for men's and women's international sides, the FIFA Series, both being hosted by Australia.

Underlining the game's growing role as a platform for bilateral engagement and international cooperation, the two matches will be played on March 28 and 31 at Yiwu Meihu Sports Center Stadium in Yiwu, Zhejiang province, providing the Young Socceroos with high-quality international competition.

"The Australia-China Friendship Series is a great opportunity for Football Australia to engage with China and strengthen our relationship both on and off the pitch," said Heather Garriock, interim chief executive officer at Football Australia.

She notes that the two-match series is also a year out from China hosting the AFC U20 Asian Cup, when Australia will be looking to defend its crown. The March series will give players and staff valuable experience of local conditions and venues ahead of the AFC tournament.

Gary Cowan, CEO of the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations, said: "Football is one of the areas in which Australia's links with China — of friendship and competition — are growing strongly and this is a good thing.

"This will come hot on the heels of China's Steel Roses taking part in the AFC Women's Asian Cup in Australia, enhancing people-to-people links and showcasing Australian sporting excellence."

Blossom anew

As a commentator, Gill is excited about the upcoming Women's Asian Cup, and was also impressed by her recent China trip. During her stay in Shanghai earlier this month, she met with former Steel Roses captain Pu Wei and female international referee Dong Fangyu, as well as with teenage players in the city's Yangpu district.

"They are fantastic kids with really good skills. It's really fun to jump back in with them and Pu Wei. She is still such a talented footballer, and it's a real privilege to play alongside her," said Gill following a training session with Pu and her young charges at the Baiyangdian Football Elite Base on Feb 5.

As a veteran of three FIFA Women's World Cups and three Olympics, Pu claimed many major awards, including a runner-up medal at the Women's World Cup in 1999 and winning the Women's Asian Cup in 2006. Upon her retirement on Feb 15, 2014, Pu had earned 219 caps for China.

Now, as women's head coach at Baiyangdian Football Elite Base, Pu is relentlessly cultivating the next generation of young soccer talent with an eye firmly set on sowing the seeds of success for future Steel Roses to bloom.

When asked about the Australian challenge, Pu noted that the Matildas are an intensely physical team, confrontational and rapid in transition between offense and defense.

The team's overall style, she said, is open, direct and aggressive, with an emphasis on the high press.

"The core players on the team enjoy the game, and are calm and resilient beyond their years. The Matildas play more than a sporting role in Australia, but are more of a national cultural icon in the promotion of gender equality and an inspiration to younger generations of players," she added.

Pu was also inspired by Gill's visit, and hopes to enhance training cooperation between the two nations. Combining Australia's training system and China's talent and facilities, she wants to cultivate more teenage players with professional potential, as well as top-level coaches.

"A good youth football system should not only be about fostering skilled players, but more about cultivating the youth themselves, making them physically robust, mentally mature, and capable of thriving in a competitive society," said Pu.

Xin Jialin, a 15-year-old trainee at the base, has been playing soccer since first grade in primary school.

Despite the increasing stress of studying in senior high school, she enjoys every minute spent on the field with her teammates and Pu. She was thrilled at Gill's unexpected participation in training.

"I never expected that I would be trained by someone like coach Pu. And today I saw that Grace Gill is also a fantastic player. They have already lived our dream. Their experience gave me so much confidence about the future of being a woman footballer," said Xin after the training session with Pu and Gill.

Pu has also sowed the same confidence in many other trainees like Xin, saying firmly: "I believe that the Steel Roses will blossom again."

Different paths

Pu is not alone in her efforts striving to build a bright future for women's soccer, Dong Fangyu is also attempting to forge new paths for female participants on the world stage.

In 2024, Dong made history, becoming the first ever graduate from the AFC Referee Academy to take charge of a match in a FIFA competition, when she took the whistle for a match between France and Canada at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in Colombia. She is also the first female referee to officiate a Chinese Super League match, and is a referee candidate for the 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup.

To officiate in professional men's leagues, which have high intensity and fast pace, usually requires a much higher level in terms of refereeing ability. Dong's officiating capabilities are not in doubt.

She has gained widespread international recognition, successfully completing assignments at tournaments including the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup and the AFC Women's Champions League, and, on the men's side, the AFC U17 Asian Cup and the AFC Champions League Elite.

In her eyes, Australian players are outstanding in individual ability and are exceptionally skilled at using their bodies to "aggressively" win the ball.

"They are physically strong and skillfully mature. Even in the final minutes of a game, their ability to make quick sprints and apply pressure remains formidable. It would be good for our teams to engage with them more and learn from them," she said.

Both Dong and Gill have seen the growing professionalism, speed and strength in the women's game, closing the gap with the men, both in performance and popularity. It puts a much higher requirement on physical fitness and skills, for both players and referees.

From the latter's perspective, Dong pointed out that they are the ones who have to find the balance between a smooth game and player protection, and top referees help players understand the boundaries of fair play, but still encourage them to be bold in the way they approach the game.

"Our younger generation of players are more dynamic and mentally tough. I see that resilience as a highly valuable quality," said Dong, the suggestion being that, maybe, some might consider becoming match officials in the future.

She noted that being a referee is challenging, as there is a need to make instant decisions under huge pressure from players, coaches, parents and fans, and it's easy to doubt or second-guess yourself.

It can be even more challenging for female referees taking charge of men's games.

"Our entire refereeing team, including me, are the ones who open the door for others to follow. Hopefully, we will see more female referees at top global events in the future, just like us.

"We are still exploring this path, and hope to prove to all the young girls that anything is possible," Dong said.

Similarly, Gill is also pushing gender boundaries in the game. Although women commentators are still rare in men's soccer in Australia, she remains committed to the task, hoping to influence more young girls to see new possibilities as the women's game continues to grow.

"We see internationally that everyone speaks and understands the language of football, and it's something that brings us all together," said Gill. "The future of women's football — in China, Australia and across the world — is very bright."