But at the Asian Cup, the Chinese are one of the minnows, an under-achieving team that was lucky just to make the 16-nation finals.
Fortune was on their side during their bumbled qualifying campaign. They only finished third in their group but snuck into the tournament as the very last team, by a single goal ahead of Lebanon.
For the tournament organisers, keen to cash in on the prospect of more than a billion television viewers, it was already a major coup but few expected them to go far.
China failed to get past the group stage at the past two Asian Cup and after being drawn with Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan and North Korea, most experts thought they would fall short again.
But after two matches, China, ranked 96th in the world, are suddenly the talk of the tournament, having posted two heart-stopping wins over Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan and on their way to the quarter-finals.
And they are winning millions of fans with their unconventional and occasionally irreverent approach.
In their first match against Saudi Arabia, the Chinese goalkeeper Wang Dalei asked a young Australian ballboy which way he should dive to save a penalty.
The kid told him to go left and Wang followed his instructions and made the save. Against Uzbekistan on Wednesday, they came from behind to win 2-1, sealed with a spectacular solo strike from substitute Sun Ke.
It might have only been a group match, but they celebrated like they had won the final, dancing and singing in their locker rooms.
"We beat our opponent through spirit and stamina," said midfielder Wu Xi, who deflected the ball into his own net in the first half, then scored for his own team in the second.
"We will celebrate the Chinese way."
Even China's French coach Alain Perrin -- who has taken on the task of rebuilding the team -- was in the mood to celebrate, saying he would open a bottle of champagne to mark the occasion.
A strict disciplinarian by nature, Perrin is having to do things differently with the Chinese.
The players are already highly disciplined, he said, and do what they are told, but he is trying to instil a more aggressive and instinctive side to them.
"Today we played a very, very beautiful match," he said.
"Our players were nervous at the beginning and we (conceded) a goal, but I'm very happy my players kept playing football in our style."
(Editing by Sudipto Ganguly)
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