In this undated file photo, people are having fun with snow dragon boat in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang province. (PHOTO / HEILONGJIANG SPORTS BUREAU VIA XINHUA)

BANGKOK - Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang province, was chosen by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) to host the 2025 Asian Winter Games on Saturday.

The OCA made the decision at its 42nd Congress held in Bangkok, Thailand.

Harbin was the only candidate city for the 2025 Asian Winter Games, and its bid was approved by the OCA with a round of applause from the assembly.

During the presentation by the Harbin Bid Committee to the OCA, Yu Zaiqing, vice-president of the Chinese Olympic Committee and an International Olympic Committee (IOC) member, said Harbin boasts stable economic growth, solid winter sports tradition and excellent winter sports facilities.

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A man is snowboarding at Harbin Sunac Snow World on July 27, 2020. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

"We are fully convinced that Harbin is capable of delivering an outstanding and successful edition of the Asian Winter Games, so as to contribute to the development of winter sport and the Olympic movement in China and the whole Asia, and to promote solidarity, friendship, and peace," said Yu.

It will be the second time Harbin hosts the Asian Winter Games - the first was in 1996 - and the third time the regional games are held in a Chinese city, the other being in Changchun, northeast China's Jilin province, in 2007.

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Harbin's successful bid also came after Beijing successfully hosted the Olympic Winter Games in 2022.