The Portuguese government says Beijing is one of 18 cities set to put on this year a Fado festival arranged by  the government to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Fado singer Amália Rodrigues.

The government issued a written statement saying the festival is meant to  promote Portuguese music.

It is part of a big cultural  programme which includes a port call in  Shanghai in July  by the Portuguese training ship Sagres, which is now travelling the world to mark 500 years since Ferdinand Magellan’s expedition, which was the first to circumnavigate the world.

The programme includes almost 1,600 events in 84 countries on  five continents, the Portuguese government says.