French striker Nicolas Anelka is on the books of the Shanghai-based club while his former Chelsea teammate, Didier Drogba, has signed and will arrive in China within the next fortnight.

He will join a club struggling on the field though, with Shanghai Shenhua having won just three times in 15 attempts this season.

Zhu Jianrong's 40th-minute strike proved enough for the hosts to seal victory at the Qingdao Tiantai Stadium.

Guangzhou Evergrande lead the league standings by seven points thanks to a 3-2 win over Beijing Guoan.

Last season's champions trailed after Xu Liang's 12th-minute opener, but goals to Jiang Ning, Muriqui and Cleo helped them to a victory which extended their unbeaten run to seven matches in all competitions.

Jiangsu Sianty remain seven points behind the leaders with a 3-1 home success over Guangzhou R&F, Romanian Cristian Danalache scoring a double for the victors.

Other results saw Guizhou Renhe defeat Dalian Shide 2-0, while Changchun Yatai and Tianjin Teda played out a 1-1 draw.