CHARLTON have entered the lucrative Far East football market with the signing of a partnership agreement with Chinese Super League club Shandong Luneng that will see the Addicks touring China within the next three years.

Shandon Luneng, who sold China captain Zheng Zhi to Charlton, have an Academy regarded as the best in the country while the club won the Chinese Super League and cup competition in 2006. In 2007 they reached the Asian Champions League quarter-finals.

Peter Varney, Charlton's chief executive, said: "There are a number of elements to the deal. At youth level, we'll be looking to co-operate wherever possible, and there will be a series of playing and coaching exchanges.

"We have been invited to enter a team in the China Weifang International tournament and although Shandong feel they have a good academy, they are open to ideas and are keen for us to devise a management model to help improve how it is structured.

"We will explain how we do things, invite representativers across to look for themselves and also send club officials to China to provide demonstrations.

"A number of commercial spin-offs, including a first-team tour, will take place. We are also talking to them about the possibility of Charlton matches being shown in China because there is huge interest in ZiZi (Zheng Zhi)."