The Chinese Football Association League 2 (), or China League Two, is the third tier league of the People's Republic of China. The league is under the auspices of the Chinese Football Association. Above the League Two is the premier league - the Chinese Super League and the League One.
The league below China League Two is the Chinese Champions League.
There are two groups in League Two, northern and southern. The top four teams from each group enter the promotion play-off after each regular season. Harbin Songbei Yiteng and Chongqing F.C. reached promotion play-off final in 2011 and the two clubs were promoted to League One. In 2011, China League Two 3rd-placed team faced 2011 China League One last-placed team for a play-off match. Fujian Smart Hero which was the 3rd-placed team of 2011 China League Two has won this match against the 2011 China League One last-placed team Guizhou Zhicheng and earned a spot in the 2012 China League One.
History
The Chinese Football Association League 2 (abbreviation: China League 2) is the third level of the Chinese Football Professional League organized by the Chinese Football Association, after the Chinese Football Association Super League, before the Chinese Football Association B League, formerly known as the China Football League B.
In 1987, due to the year of the National Games and the national team's impact on the Olympic Games, the Chinese Football Association tried to divide the national football league into A and B groups, and in 1989 the A and B leagues were officially established, in 1994 the 1 and 2 leagues were professionalized, and in 2004 the A and B leagues were reorganized into the China League 1 League.
In 2022, the policy will change, and the Chinese Super League and China League One will implement a "2022 up, down, 3" policy in the 3 seasons. Rules: 16th, 17th and 18th places in the Chinese Super League are directly relegated to the Chinese Super League, while the 1st, 2nd and 3rd places in the Chinese Super League are directly promoted to the Chinese Super League.