BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts. Chris and I are in the same studio at Westminster, because I've got an evening engagement on Monday evening. Hello, Chris. Hello, that explains why you're here. I thought it's because you'd come to see me, but no. Oh, that's a joint priority. Although we're not going to see each other face-to-face for a few days now, because you're going on your travels. Yeah. Are we allowed to say... Yeah, we're going to, I'm going to see each other face to face for a few days now because you're going on your travels.

Yeah.

Are we allowed to say?

Yeah, we're going to.

I'm going to China and indeed to Japan as part of the reporter delegation following the Prime Minister.

So I've never been to China before.

It's been fascinating.

So we're heading there this week, Downing Street, confirming that trip today.

And it's going to be really interesting because, I mean, certainly for me, having never been there,

I mean, what a place to see, a privilege to get to go.

But then how does this government do the whole business of a relationship with China,

where recent governments have been pretty hawkish, pretty

skeptical about China and not particularly keen on engaging. But then you rewind a decade or so,

and David Cameron was having a pint with President Xi in a pub in wherever it was Oxfordshire,

I think, down the road from his then constituency home.

So, you know, I think we'll get an argument from them about how it's pragmatic

because China's a massive economy and there'll be a load of business folk, no doubt, in attendance.

But all sorts of questions about, you know, is he going to raise human rights questions

amongst many others? And what about security and all of that? And then after that, he is hopping on with us in tow to Japan. Dropping in on Japan is how it was put to me here, which doesn't really feel like that when you're the other side of the world and Jet liked to heck. To meet their new Iron Lady Prime Minister. Well, indeed. Yeah, and then we will head back, probably having kind of circumnavigated the earth, I think.

Because by the time you get to Tokyo, I think the plane might just carry on and keep going east. I'm not sure they go that way. Also, can you go the whole way to China without stopping? Or is this one of these ones where you've got to stop and like... No, you can. We are going non-stop to Beijing

And then on to Shanghai and then on to Tokyo

Hmm No, you can. We are going non-stop to Beijing and then on to Shanghai and then on to Tokyo.

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