Many years ago the EU asked me at short notice to go on an official mission to China, officially to address an environmental conference in China. They must have been short staffed, but they allocated me a minder from the EU office in Beijing.
The Communist Party attached me to a young woman with excellent English from the Department of Party History [sic] who took me on the subway (then reserved for cadres), showed me round the Forbidden City and organised a trip to the Great Wall as well as to other sights.
I did manage to escape on my own from time to time by using the half mad taxi drivers and making sure I had written down my destination beforehand in Mandarin.
It quickly became apparent that the authorities had their own agenda and took me to see the training pitch being used by their national team. I told them that League Two clubs had better facilities which didn't go down well.
This was when Charlton were in the Premier League and I was shown an item from national television about how Curbs and Keith Peacock worked together which was actually quite well done. It became clear that they wanted Charlton to play in China and thought I had an 'in'.
I did talk to Curbs when I got back but he seem to be confused between China and Japan, but didn't want to tour either, although at that stage of the emergence of soccer in Japan it might have paid off.
By the time I got to Kunming in the south-west I think they were pretty disappointed with me. Indeed, my minder agreed I could be interviewed by local television about air pollution. However, the interviewer blind sided me, noting that I was born in Greenwich and then asking about high levels of pollution there.
On a second visit to China, I attended a seminar organised by individuals somewhat distanced from the regime.
The upshot is that Chinese National Radio now calls me 'Whine' Grant, but I suppose it fits a Charlton supporter well.
