Official: Asian Games stayed within budget, despite claims

GUANGZHOU - Finance authorities in this southern city said the 16th Asian Games and Asian Para Games last year had not left the city a huge monetary hole.

In response to criticisms made by deputies of the city's people's congress, Zhang Jieming, director of the Guangzhou finance bureau, said the city's budget for the games was 13.6 billion yuan ($2 billion).

So far, the city has used some 9.1 billion yuan, accounting for 67 percent of the budget, according to Zhang.