Port Adelaide has revealed its aim to be the key promoter of AFL in China, including the possibility of playing a first-ever premiership match there next season.

The league, the Power and the club's new Chinese sponsor signed a memorandum of understanding on Thursday to play a premiership-season game in 2017 in Shanghai.

The memorandum was signed by the club's chief executive Keith Thomas and representatives of the AFL and a Shanghai-based real estate company.

"We will do everything possible to play a game for premiership points here in Shanghai as early as next season," Thomas said.

The club said it would not sacrifice a home game at the Adelaide Oval to secure a match in China.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull was also present for the announcement, and revealed an unexpected passion for the sport.

"I say this as a former mediocre rugby player — AFL is the most exciting football code. An enormous field, extraordinary athleticism, it is the leaping, jumping, flying game," he said.

"Of course this Chinese involvement in AFL is far from new. In 1908 the first Chinese AFL player, Wally Koochew, whose father was from Huangpu south of Guangzhou, made four senior appearances for the Carlton Football Club.

"That trend continues today with players like Lin Jong, who's a talented young Australian midfielder of Chinese/Timorese descent who plays for the Western Bulldogs, and Chen Shaoliang who is training with Port Adelaide now."

Port to run school footy programs in China

The memorandum will also see Port Adelaide run school and Auskick programs in China, as well as support university programs in Guangzhou.

A partnership has also been established with television network Chinese Central TV (CCTV) to broadcast three Port Adelaide games into China, along with a 25-week documentary series, Thomas said.

"Our partnership with CCTV is more than just entertainment, it's about understanding," he said.

"Through our regular AFL programs on CCTV the viewers in China will see more of Australia, and learn more about our culture."

Last Friday's game between Port Adelaide and Essendon was broadcast in China, and the Power players' names were displayed on their guernseys in Mandarin.

Mr Turnbull said the game reached an estimated audience of between one and two million people.