Former Prime Minister John Key holds a Phoenix shirt at the launch in Beijing of Chinese company Huawei's sponsorship of the football team in April 2016.

The Wellington Phoenix will return the pre-season friendly favour to their sister city's team next month.

The Phoenix beat Beijing BG 2-1 in Beijing last July to claim the Capital Cup as they kicked off their preparations for the current Hyundai A-League season.

That match was played in the middle of Beijing's last Chinese League One (second-tier) season, so it was only right that the Phoenix would offer a return fixture, to be played at Westpac Stadium on February 14, a month before Beijing's season is scheduled to begin.

While extra matches in an already busy season is not ideal, the timing is not too bad.

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The game will sit in the middle of an away game against Sydney FC on February 9 and a home game versus Melbourne City on February 18, but even with the space in between matches the Phoenix's lineup is expected to resemble more of their Stirling Sports Premiership team, rather than their usual A-League outfit.

News of the match was first found via Ticketek advertising tickets on their website on Tuesday, with a Phoenix spokesman confirming the match would take place and saying an official announcement would be made on Wednesday.

Last year's match was, in part, to celebrate 10 years of Wellington and Beijing being sister cities, with a delegation of Wellington officials accompanying the team for the trip.