China defeated China's Hong Kong 1-0 in their third game at the Eastern Asia Football Federation (EAFF) E-1 Football Championship at Toyota Stadium in Tokyo, Japan, on Wednesday.

Tan Long scored the only goal of this game for China by exploiting a mistake made by China's Hong Kong's defenders at the 66th minute. It marked China's first goal at the tournament after a 3-0 loss to South Korea and 0-0 draw with Japan in the previous two games.

The win was the first by the Chinese national team in 293 days since beating Vietnam 3-2 last October. The team had recorded four draws and five losses since then.

Though China had won 18 of their previous 29 games against China's Hong Kong, with their most recent loss coming in February 1995, Wednesday afternoon's game was not a lopsided victory. China's Hong Kong led in shots (15-6) and had the chance to tie the score if it weren't for an incredible save by goalkeeper Han Jiaqi.

China had some offensive highlights on the field. The draw with Japan gave the team confidence. Their passes were smoother than before and players didn't hesitate to make a move when they saw the chance. The team were able to create offensive threats constantly from the two wings for about 20 minutes.

However, China's problems, especially their inability to turn their advantages into goals, continued. As China's Hong Kong held their ground, they began to launch sharp counterstrikes and attempted several shots that tested China's defensive line.

In the other game of the Championship on Wednesday, Japan beat South Korea 3-0 after scoring three goals in 23 minutes in the second half. The host team won the title with two wins and one draw, followed by South Korea, who had two wins and one loss. China ranked third with one win, one draw and one loss while China's Hong Kong were at the bottom with three losses.