(Yicai Global) March 18 -- The governing body of Chinese soccer has officially put the country forward as the host for the 2023 Asian Cup competition, which would be the first time in 19 years.

The Chinese Football Association has submitted a list of 12 candidate host cities, namely, Beijing, Tianjin, Guangzhou, Nanjing, Xi'an, Wuhan Chengdu, Qingdao, Shenyang, Changsha, Ningbo and Luoyang, according to a statement. The Asian Football Confederation will vote on the host country on May 19.

The only other country to also submit a bid for the competition is South Korea. The Asian Cup is held every four years and is the highest-level international football event in Asia. China has made it to the final twice but ended up second both times. The last time was in 2004 when it lost 3-1 to Japan.

The CFA expressed its intention to bid in February 2016. According to an unwritten rule from the AFC, countries in western and eastern parts of Asia usually take turns to host the competition. As the United Arab Emirates hosted this year's event, the next host will be from East Asia. Thailand, Indonesia and India withdrew plans to apply after China and Korea entered the race.

Editor: William Clegg