Midfielder Shao Jiayi, who is playing for German club Energie Cottbus, has been picked by China head coach Gao Hongbo and will join the national squad in Shanghai.

Shao, 26, arrived in Beijing on Monday and is scheduled to fly to Shanghai on Saturday. This is the first time for Shao to be included in the national team after China's World Cup qualifiers in 2008.

Gao Hongbo needs Shao to strengthen the midfield in the Asian Cup qualifying matches against Syria and Vietnam in January 2010.

"I am closely following the Chinese players playing abroad," Gao said.

The Chinese national soccer team has finished a 15-day training session in China's southernmost Hainan Province. The whole team arrived in Shanghai on Monday to continue warming up for the Asian Cup.