AFL CHIEF executive Gillon McLachlan will make a flying visit to China later this week to take part of Australia Week events in Shanghai.

McLachlan will represent the League as Port Adelaide puts pen to paper on a major sponsorship deal with a Chinese company.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will also be there along with state premiers and business leaders from across Australia.

AFL.com.au understands the League's involvement in Australia Week festivities has come about only in recent weeks.

It will be a chance for McLachlan to rub shoulders with some of the biggest names in Chinese business and help put AFL on the map in the world's most populous nation.

The journey follows Port Adelaide's landmark broadcast of Friday night's win over Essendon into China on high definition sports channel CCTV5+.

The AFL played an exhibition game in Shanghai in 2010 between Melbourne and the Brisbane Lions.