For the best part of two decades, huge riches have poured into Chinese football. Billions. All the Chinese game has to show for it is a couple of Asian Champions League titles with Guangzhou Evergrande – achieved almost entirely because of foreign players and coaches – and not much else. Corruption and match-fixing hasn't helped. Ritual humiliation at national team level has become a deep scar, and there's even a chance China will fail to progress beyond the current stage of World Cup qualifying yet again. Forthcoming home ties against Maldives and Qatar could still get them out of jail, but scoreless draws both home and "away" against minnows Hong Kong underline the enduring weakness of the homegrown game. Eventually, the culture – that's the football culture – has to change.

With the highest political authorities in Beijing having made it clear that getting better at the world game is not an option, it's a must, things are on the move. Improving the development pathway, improving coach education, improving strength and conditioning programs, provide the foundation to produce better players. Which is where Australia comes into play. Within the space of eight months between mid-2014 and this time last year, Western Sydney Wanderers eliminated Guangzhou Evergrande from the ACL, and the Socceroos eliminated China from the Asian Cup. Money and resources didn't make the difference. Coaching, fitness, strength and endeavour did. It was a lesson well noted in Beijing. Sometime this year, perhaps even within the next few months, there's every chance both Central Coast Mariners and Newcastle Jets will become Chinese-owned. On a global level, even an Asian level, the buy-in price of around $5 million is dirt cheap.

In return – in terms of establishing a bridgehead in Australia and using it to listen and learn – the Chinese are confident the rewards will soon outweigh the investment. It's how the Chinese operate in so many other Australian industries. Knowledge is king. Why should football be any different? For the domestic game, the balancing act is to give up just enough of the IP to make the relationship genuine and worthwhile, but not too much. Closer ties with Chinese football have multiple advantages, but it's still important to retain the competitive edge. On the field, and off it. Early next month in Adelaide, we're likely to get an interesting indication of exactly where that benchmark stands. Adelaide United's likely play-off opponents for the 2016 edition of the ACL are almost certain to be Shandong Luneng, who see the Champions League as a huge priority. Despite Shandong's ambition, and their money, history tells us not to write off the Reds.

In fact it's a dead heat in the overall head-to-head record between Australian and Chinese clubs in the ACL. If you can't beat them, buy them. Perhaps that at least partly explains the Chinese interest in the Mariners and the Jets. But it's a much bigger picture than that. Let's be frank, the Chinese aren't likely to join forces with South Korea or Japan as they seek to build a new, better, generation of footballers. Although both countries have a lot to offer, the historical enmity still runs deep. Australia is a different story. There are mutual benefits, and less distrust. Right now, Australia has the edge, but one day the balance of power might shift if the power follows the money.

Can football in Australia still get better, smarter AND richer if it enters into a new era of co-operation with the Chinese? Let's see.