China will host the 2004 Asian Cup finals after beating Thailand Friday in a vote of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) in Beirut.

China won the vote by 10-6 against Thailand as Iran pulled out of the race at the last moment at an extra session of the AFC executive committee in the Presidential Room of the Sports City stadium in Beirut.

"We will contribute the best-ever Cup in the new millennium to Asia four years later in China," said Zhang Jilong, head of the Chinese delegation.

"The AFC has showed their confidence to China in the vote, and we'll devote our best to the development of the Asian football," he added.

Four cities of Beijing, Jinan, Chengdu and Chongqing are bidding to stage the prestigious tournament.

China lost to Lebanon four years ago on 14-2 when all the members of the executive committee from West Asia, as well as Thailand support Lebanon.

Thailand's Worawi Makudi, member of the AFC executive committee, said he was not disappointed with the result.

"It's a fair vote. There are always one winner and one loser (in the bids)," he said.

Thailand had decided to bid for the 2008 Cup after the expected loss.

"China is a great part of the Asian football. They've done big progress in every difficult element of the organization," said AFC general-secretary Peter Velappan.

"One of the key reason we award China the right to host the tournament is that they promised full house of each match in 2004," said Velappan, who announced Thailand as the winner first before he realized the mistake instinctively.

Members from Indonesia, Saudi Arabia and Uzbekistan did not participate in the vote due to various reasons.

(Xinhua 10/27/2000)