China and Japan are the only two nations to ever top the medal table at the Asian Games. Japanese athletes dominated the tally at the first eight editions, while their Chinese counterparts have finished first in nine times since 1982. Third in the overall standings is South Korea, and with the 2020 Tokyo Olympics just two years away, continental bragging rights are not the only issue concerning sports officials from these three countries. Damion Jones has the details.

China will head to the 2018 Asian Games looking to lead the medal tally for the 10th consecutive time, a streak that started in 1982, after the country's athletes debuted at the event eight years earlier. Four years ago in Incheon, the PRC's delegation claimed 151 golds, 72 more than host nation South Korea, and a whopping 104 better than Japan.

LEE WONMAN SPORTS CHOSUN DEPUTY EDITOR "From the Bangkok Game in 1998, to Incheon in 2014, (South) Korea has maintained second place in the medal standings for five consecutive times, so the goal of Korea team in this Asian Games is to keep the second place."

DONG RINA CCTV-5 REPORTER "The 2018 Asian Games will showcase the Chinese delegation ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics. I believe China will continue to dominate the medal board. But as the hosts for Tokyo 2020, Japan will also be looking to test their athletes here, so we are looking at a somewhat tougher challenge this time."

AKUTSU ISAMU NHK SPORTS REPORTER "This time we have young athletes in general, so we are expecting their young powers."

The Chinese approach is to test younger athletes at the Asian Games, in the period between stagings of the Summer Olympics, as more than half of the country's 1,273-member contingent in Jakarta, has no experience at either event. Their Japanese rivals will follow a similar strategy in the Indonesian capital, banking on breakthroughs from youngsters like 18-year-old swimmer Rikako Ikee.

"I'm going to go with swimming. We have so many young talents in there. Rikako Ikee might create a new world record."

"Ning Zetao and Fu Yuanhui became famous after the 2014 Asian Games, so I believe many young athletes will rise to fame in this edition as well, because many veteran Chinese athletes have retired over the past year."

In addition to chasing gold medals, the PRC will also be looking for new names to emerge, in disciplines which will be major targets of interest two years from now in Tokyo.

DONG RINA ANTICIPATING EXCITEMENT AT ASIAN GAMES "The rivalry between China, Japan, and South Korea has long been the main topic at the Asian Games. We can expect the competition in men's 100-meter dash to be the most intense in the history of the event, as China's Xie Zhenye and Su Bingtian will meet their rivals, Aska Cambridge and Yamagata Ryota, who are serious threats to capture the gold in this race."

So as Japan tries to pave the way for a coming out party at the 2020 Summer Olympics, and South Korea looks to make additional headway in the long-running three-nation tangle, China's aim is to stay on top of the table at the 2018 Asian Games, and further fortify its continental sporting foundation. DJ, CGTN.