The partnership will see the e-commerce and retail firm work with Games organisers in the Chinese city in a variety of different areas.

It is another move into sport for Alibaba which became a top-tier sponsor of the International Olympic Committee in 2017.

"We hope Alibaba will use its advanced information technology and cloud services to empower the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, enabling athletes, officials, media reporters and millions of viewers from across Asia to feel the unique charm of the Hangzhou Asian Games," said Chen Weiqiang, the vice-mayor of Hangzhou and deputy secretary general of the Organising Committee.

Online and mobile payment platform Alipay, an affiliate of Alibaba, has also joined as an official partner.

Zhang Yong, the chief executive of Alibaba, said Alipay would work to make Hangzhou 2022 "as digital as possible".

During the Games, an app will be launched which will provide 18 "intelligent services" for athletes, officials and fans.

This will include buying tickets, booking hotels and searching for tourist destinations.

Hundreds of "digital service stations" will be set-up to meet both online and offline demand, visitors said.

Tmall, an online shopping platform by Alibaba, has already launched the official online shop for the Games.