BEIJING - Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping on Saturday began a torch relay for the Guangzhou 2010 Asian Para Games when he lit the main torch in downtown Beijing.

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Xi lit the torch from a specially designed cauldron at a ceremony at the Great Hall of the People, and then handed it over to the first runner of the torch relay, Ge Yang, the ping-pong medalist of the Beijing Paralympic Games.

After a relay by 20 torch bearers at Tian'anmen Square, the torch was sent to Guangzhou by plane later on Saturday.

There will be a seven-day torch relay around Guangzhou city, and the flame will burn during the Asian Para Games running from Dec 12-19.

The Guangzhou Asian Games, which had an attendance of more than 14,000 athletes from 45 Asian countries and regions, concluded on Nov 27.