Guangzhou: China on Sunday opened its 15th National Games in the southern city of Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, state-media reported. The opening ceremony of the games, which will run through Nov. 21, was attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping.

According to Anadolu Agency, ahead of the ceremony, Xi met with International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry and IOC Honorary President for Life Thomas Bach in Guangzhou. The Chinese president vowed to deepen 'high-level cooperation' between Beijing and the IOC, pledging that Beijing will play a larger role in global sports governance.

Xi also met with some of the country's leading athletes before the opening ceremony, commending their role in China's ambition to become a global sports powerhouse. The National Games this time is co-hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, with the participation of thousands of athletes.

'This year's National Games will showcase not only new sporting achievements in China's new era, but also the remarkable progress of Chinese modernization in the Greater Bay Area,' Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning wrote on US social media company X.