For a team that, according to chief executive Peter Kenyon, plan to be 'internationally recognised as the world's No 1 football club by 2014', could be accused of leaving it a little late to play their first game on Chinese soil.

That box was finally ticked here last night as they took on Guangzhou Pharmaceutical. The previous evening, around 100 highly excited Chinese teenagers pressed their faces up against a retractable fence hoping to get a glimpse of their heroes boarding the team bus after training.

Orient largesse: Chelsea¿s stars meet orphans from the Sichuan earthquake.

Last night around 35,000 locals were present to watch Chelsea's opening game of their Samsung-sponsored Asia tour - Luiz Felipe Scolari's first match in charge.

There could have been more to watch Chelsea record a comfortable 4-0 win but with tickets starting at 300 yuan - a quarter of the average Chinese worker's monthly wage - the 80,000 seater Guangdong Stadium was less than half full.

Still, a nice little earner for Chelsea, their appearance money understood to be around £1million. Make no mistake, Chelsea's Asia tour has as much to do with commercial matters as team preparation, with the opening match of the Barclays Premier League season just over three weeks away.

And while increasing 'brand awareness' remains just as important as increasing fitness levels, Chelsea certainly cannot be accused of failing to learn from the mistakes of previous visitors to the region.

Three years ago, Manchester United, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Everton, Manchester City, Bolton and Tottenham all headed to the Far East with the intention of tapping into the market.

But Real, in particular, were accused of little more than a smash-and-grab raid by local media while Yang Yiming, Chinese FA vice president, said: 'We soon realised what actually attracted the famous stars to China was not love but money. It's just a commercial game, no more. So many stars come to China, just like a pop concert.'

Kenyon has clearly taken note and is keen to live up to Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Mohamed bin Hamman's appeal for visiting European teams to act like 'missionaries, not businessmen'.

Shrewdly, Kenyon put plans in place last year to ensure Chelsea's arrival in China would be seen in a much more positive light.

First came the invitation to the Chinese Olympic team to train for two weeks at their Surrey headquarters, although the fisticuffs that broke out in a training match with Queens Park Rangers caused something of a public relations disaster.

That was followed by Chelsea agreeing a four-year deal with the AFC to sponsor and develop Chinese grassroots football. In addition, their decision to donate some of the proceeds from Saturday's game in Macau against Chengdu Blades to the victims of the recent earthquake in Sichuan province - Chengdu is the capital - deserves credit.

Shining Lamp: Luiz Felipe Scolari congratulates Frank Lampard on his goal in the 4-0 win over Guangzhou Pharmaceutical.

There will, of course, be cynics who view such gestures as part of Chelsea's plan for world domination and, in fairness to Kenyon, he conceded: 'If Chelsea can help achieve this through involvement in areas such as grassroots, youth, coaching, education, marketing, sports medicine, media and fans, this will bring long-term benefits to us all.'

But the Vision China programme has been viewed favourably by AFC president Hamman, who said: 'This is not a business relationship. It's more of a development partnership. The AFC will benefit greatly and I don't expect Chelsea will benefit financially from this agreement.'

It is a long-term approach which former Chelsea, Leeds and Derby chief executive Trevor Birch feels will reap benefits. Asked at the recent Soccerex forum whether Asia was the game's main future market, Birch said: 'Everyone agrees that is where the true value might be but the time frame is the great unknown. It's five years, 10 years, certainly not short term.'

Paul Kam, chairman of ProEvents, who arranged the games in Guangzhou and Macau, also feels Chelsea's long-term approach via their commitment to grassroots football in China will give them a distinct advantage in the race for supporters and market share.

He said: 'Chelsea have a very good relationship with the AFC, they've co-operated about this huge development programme. Guangzhou is not just another city. There's a big, big following for football in southern China. The crowds are grateful to the clubs for coming to say hello. It is all going in a cycle, more fans means more TV interest. It is important for the clubs to grow their businesses. The fans in Asia have a great knowledge of the Premier League - they like to come and watch. There has been a lot of expectation.'

The majority of Chinese youngsters were there to see John Terry and Frank Lampard last night but not because of any Chelsea affinity. That could, of course, change if, via their Vision China scheme, Chelsea unearth a local with the talent to reach the Premier League.

If they can do that, the consequent swelling of their already estimated 60million Asian fans with an army of loyal Chinese supporters might just turn Kenyon's optimistic plan of making Chelsea the world's biggest club into a reality.

TOURS AREN'T WHAT THEY USED TO BE...

The days of top-flight teams basing their pre-season schedules around a handful of friendlies against their nearest lower league rivals and the odd testimonial match are long gone. The summer build-up is now a worldwide commercial opportunity, as proved by the various parts of the globe that Premier League clubs will be flying off to before the big kick-off on August 16...

Arsenal
Hungary (1 game), Austria (1 game), Germany (1 game), Holland (2 games)

Aston Villa
Switzerland (2games), Denmark (1 game, InterToto Cup)

Blackburn
Austria (1 game), Portugal (2 games)

Bolton
Austria (training), Greece (2 games)

Chelsea
China (1 game), Macau (1 game), Malaysia (1 game), Russia (2 games)

Everton
Switzerland (1 game), USA (2 games)

Fulham
South Korea (2 games)

Hull
Belgium (1 game), Scotland (1 game)

Liverpool
Switzerland (1 game), Poland (1 game), Germany (1 game), Spain (1 game), Scotland (1 game), Norway (1 game)

Manchester City
Faroe Isles (Uefa Cup), Germany (1 game), Scotland (1 game)

Manchester United
Scotland (1 game), Sth Africa (3 games), Nigeria (1 game)

Middlesbrough
Portugal (2 games), Scotland (1 game), Holland (1 game)

Newcastle
Spain (2 games)

Portsmouth
Nigeria (2 games)

Stoke City
Austria (2 games)

Sunderland
Portugal (2 games), Ireland (3 games)

Tottenham
Spain (3 games), Holland (2 games)

West Brom
Germany (2 games)

West Ham
USA (2 games)

Wigan
Austria (3 games), Holland (1 game)