Chinese living in Portugal have competed in the heats there of the annual Water Cube Cup contest among Chinese expatriates worldwide to find the best performances of Chinese songs, the China News Service (CNS) reports.

A report carried by the Chinese state-run news agency on Tuesday quotes Chinese Ambassador to Portugal Zhou Bentang as saying at the start of the Portuguese heats last Sunday that the contest would prompt cultural exchanges, and as urging Chinese expatiates to help acquaint the world with Chinese culture and history by singing Chinese songs.

Once again this year, precautions against COVID-19 mean the competition will be held partly online, the report says.

It says singers in over 30 countries will submit recordings of their performances.

The judges in Portugal picked two winners of the heat for adults and two winners of the heat for younger singers, all of whom who will compete in the Water Cube Cup world finals next month, CNS says.