Chinese women's soccer team, dubbed the Steel Roses, may benefit from China's increasing efforts to revive the sport.

Yu Hongchen, vice president of the Chinese Football Association (CFA), revealed that a historic-high bonus has been set for the women players who qualified for the last eight of the World Cup for the first time in eight years.

"CFA will contribute more to encourage our players and our sponsors will also take steps," Yu told Xinhua on Sunday.

The incentive, reported to amount to around one million yuan (about 160,000 U.S. dollars), would be far less than those for the men's.

However, "the World Cup bonus will be the highest ever in women's national team in history," added Yu.

Women's soccer has been struggling for survival as it receives little attention and is not professionalized in China.

Most of the internationals earn just around 3000 yuan (about 483 dollars) a month in salaries while the National Bureau of Statistics survey showed the average salary nationwide stood at 4100 per month.

The good news for the girls is that in China's recent soccer reform plan, importance is attached to women's soccer as well.

As one of the reform's major goals, the 1999 World Cup runners-up will be striving to return to the top of the world. Endi

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