Two goals from Medin Memeti and Louis Agosti, just 82 seconds apart midway through the first half on Tuesday, gave the Young Socceroos a lead they protected with aplomb, despite China hitting back within five minutes of that double with a fine strike from Kuai Jiwen.
The win, following a 5-1 victory over the Kyrgyz Repubic and a 3-1 triumph against Qatar, ensured that Australia topped group A to qualify for the quarter-finals with a maximum nine points, ahead of previously unbeaten China on six.
Victory in Saturday's last-eight clash, against a team yet to be decided from group B, would earn Trevor Morgan's team the huge prize of a place in the Under-20 World Cup for the first time since 2013.
What will encourage their English coach is his squad's enviable strength-in-depth. With qualification already assured, Morgan was able to experiment and rotate, fielding a team featuring nine changes from the one that beat Qatar which still proved hugely competitive.
Both goals owed much to the Australians' hunger for the battle, as they twice won midfield scraps to set up the decisive scores.
Sydney FC's Tiago Quintal was brilliant for the first goal in the 23rd minute as he muscled in to win the ball in midfield, then foraged forward surrounded by three defenders before slipping in Memeti.
Memeti, the 17-year-old Melbourne City striker who's the youngest player in the  Australian squad, still had much to do in the box, but was able to recover the ball after his first attempt was blocked, swivel and shoot between the legs of the Chinese keeper.
Almost straight from the kick-off, the Aussies then won the ball back again with Quintal again at the heart of another counter-attack, cutting back for Italy-based Agosti, who plays in Serie C with Perugia, to blast home a deflected shot from close range.
The home side, cheered on at the Baoan Sports Centre Stadium by a noisy, partisan crowd, hit back soon after with Kuai expertly controlling Xu Junchi's cross before unleashing an unstoppable volley.
From there, the Socceroos still mostly looked comfortable despite being on the back foot, with Macarthur keeper Alex Robinson coming up trumps when needed, with a brilliant double save soon after half-time and another key stop in stoppage time.
