BEIJING - A translation contest of contemporary works in Chinese language was launched Monday to expand the country's cultural influence.

The China International Translation Contest 2013 organizing committee has chosen 30 award-winning pieces of contemporary Chinese short stories from renowned writers including Jia Pingwa, Wang Anyi and Nobel prize winner Mo Yan.

Shi Zhanjun, editor-in-chief of People's Literature Magazine, said the chosen pieces not only represent the highest standard of modern Chinese literature but also contain certain common elements of humanity and other internationally appealing topics, such as love.

Participants are required to choose one of the 30 stories to translate into English, French, Russian, Spanish, or Arabic and submit their works before February 28, 2014.

Organizers said both individual and group translators are welcomed to take part.

The top prize for each language will be $5,000.

The competition, jointly hosted by the State Council Information Office, the Chinese Writers Association and the China International Publishing Group, also involves co-organizers including Penguin Books, Hachette Livre (France), Editorial Popular (Spain), Oriental Literature Publisher (Russia) and Egypt-China Cultural Exchange Association.