Sebastian Wood (C), the British Ambassador to China, Zuo Zhiyong (L), Deputy Secretary General of IOC China, and the 2008 Beijing Olympics Judo Champion Yang Xiuli (R) unveil a countdown clock to mark one year to go to the London Olympics, at the Ambassador’s residence in Beijing, July 27th 2011. [Photo Courtesy of the British Embassy in Beijing]

Today Ambassador Sebastian Wood, Mr Zuo Zhiyong, Deputy Secretary General of the IOC, and Ms Yang Xiuli, Judo Champion of the 2008 Beijing Olympics met at the Ambassador's residence to unveil the countdown clock with one year to go to the London Olympics.

The Ambassador said:

'It has been a remarkable journey since London won the bid to host the Games in Singapore six years ago. The vision presented was to use the power of the Games to inspire lasting change - putting athletes at the heart of planning, getting young people around the world to choose sport, and transforming East London.

With one year to go we are on track to deliver on every one of these commitments.'

Prior to the unveiling, the Embassy, Visit Britain and British Council in China have partnered with Sina.com and British Airways to offer one lucky winner two return flights to the UK.

The five day online campaign will run from 23 -27 July and is based on the theme of a visit to London. The site showcases London's new Olympic facilities and shows how the concept of sustainability lies at the heart of their design and construction. The website also provides a range of information for potential visitors to the UK, including how to apply for a visa, where to buy tickets and highlights what Britain has to offer not only for tourists but also as an education and business destination.

Visitors to the site will be able to win flights to the UK by answering a set of questions related to the London Olympics and the UK more generally.

In addition the feature pages will be updated daily with unseen video interviews of popular Chinese Olympians. These will include : Rider, Alex Huatian; Gymnast, He Kexin; 2008 Olympic men's weightlifting champion, Lu Yong; and 2008 Olympic women's Judo campion, Yang Xiuli; Capitain of China Women's National Field Hockey Team, Li Hongxia;along with snooker player Ding Junhui.

The Foreign Secretary said:

"The Foreign Office is playing a crucial part in telling the rest of the world what a great place the UK is to visit, do business and learn in the lead up to the Olympics and Paralympics. We are encouraging hundreds of thousands of visitors to find out about Games next year – it's going to be a spectacular time in the UK and we are ready to welcome everybody. Events at our global network of posts are a very important part of spreading messages about the Games and I am pleased that China is doing so much to promote the Olympics."