AFL spreads its wings to China

The AFL is spreading its wings to China, with a game to be played in Shanghai during the 2017 season.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull used the announcement to kick-start his whirlwind China visit, with Port Adelaide boss Keith Thomas signing a memorandum of understanding on Thursday.

"This is a very exciting day for a very exciting game in the most exciting place in the world," Mr Turnbull told reporters in Shanghai.

Mr Turnbull says it's the first time an AFL game will be played outside Australasia for premiership points.

Port Adelaide will be one of the teams involved.

"This will further develop the AFL code in China," Mr Turnbull said.

He said China's national broadcaster CCTV began broadcasting AFL games on April 8.

Forty years ago China was barely engaged with the global economy but was now the world's largest national economy - or shortly would be, he said.

The multimillion-dollar agreement was signed with the founder of property developer Shanghai Cred Gui Goujie at the Fairmont Peace Hotel.