ULAN BATOR, May 29 (Xinhua) -- The first Sports Festival for Children with Disabilities off here on Tuesday, an event that also aims to strengthen bilateral relations between Mongolia and China in the sports sector.

The three-day festival is co-organized by the Physical Culture and Sports Authority of Mongolia, the Mongolian National Paralympic Committee, the Mongolian Committee of Deaf Sports, the Special Olympic Committee and Grand China Sports Limited.

Senior Mongolian and Chinese officials, including Minister of Education, Science and Sport Tsedenbal Tsogzolmaa and the Chinese Ambassador to Mongolia Xing Haiming attended the opening ceremony of the festival.

“China and Mongolia are good neighbors, good friends and good partners," Xing said during the opening ceremony.

“In recent years, our two countries have been paying close attention to strengthening bilateral relations in the sports sector. This event is part of efforts to strengthen bilateral relations in this regard," he added.

A total of 537 Mongolian children with disabilities are competing in eight different para-sports, including basketball, indoor field hockey and table tennis in the competition, the Physical Culture and Sports Authority of Mongolia said Tuesday.

The festival will also be held in 2019 and 2020.

The Mongolian government's action plan for 2016-2020 includes plans to build a sporting complex for use by people with disabilities using non-refundable aid from China.

Mongolia and China are set to celebrate the 70th anniversary of their establishment of diplomatic relations in 2019.