China's Guangzhou launched its one-year countdown to the 2010 Asian Games at a grand ceremony here on Thursday. Sheikh Ahmad Al Sabah Fahad, president of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), and Wang Yang, secretary of the Guangdong Committee of the Communist Party of China, jointly started the countdown to the 16th Asian Games.

Liu Peng, president of the Guangzhou Organizing Committee of the 2010 Asian Games, said at the ceremony that he hopes people from all over Asia will share the passion and excitement of the Guangzhou Asian Games next year.

Huang Huahua, mayor of Guangzhou, said that everything goes smooth and Guangzhou is ready to host a first-class games.

Liu, also director of the State General Administration of Sports, and Fahad sent invitations to all 45 members of the OCA to welcome them to attend the 2010 Asian Games.

Guangzhou will be the second Chinese city to host the Asian Games after Beijing, which staged the games in 1990.