Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, has won its bid to host the 2025 Asian Winter Games, the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) announced on Saturday. 

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

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.

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

Japan's Sapporo and Obihiro held the last Asian Winter Games, in 2017.

(With input from Xinhua)

(Cover: A view of the OCA meeting in Bangkok, Thailand, July 8, 2023. /CMG)