His third visit to China in as many years would appear to be another public relations triumph on foreign shores for for First Minister Alex Salmond.

Indeed his latest trip looked more like a practise for a future Presidential State visit rather than a trade mission by a humble First Minister.

The last time he was here Mr Salmond was greeted by the Minister for Quarantine, probably a couple of steps up from the Minister for Pest Control, this time he was the honoured guest of China's Vice Premier Li Keqiang. Now this is the man hotly tipped to succeed premier Wen Jiabao when the Chinese Communist Party changes its leaders next year and getting an audience with him in the sacred Forbidden City is a rather large feather in Mr Salmond's cap.

Now whether this was just a courtesy on the back of Mr Keqiang trip to Scotland early in the year, or a significant shift in Mr Salmond's international standing, who knows, but I'm sure he'll be claiming the latter.

If being honoured by one of the country's leading politicians wasn't enough, he was also invited to speak at Beijing's prestigious central party school where leading lights of the Chinese communist party come to study party doctrine.

Normally westerners are prohibited from even going in let alone making a speech, but that is exactly what he was invited to do, to students and very nervous looking Foreign Offices officials alike.

For although Scotland's has its own man attached to the British Embassy, Philip Morgan, as officials are only too quick to point out he is an employee of the Crown. They are also only too ready to let everyone know that the First Minister is very much here under the auspices of that same Crown.

So despite the posturing and PR gloss over the 'independent' nature of this visit it is likely that Edinburgh's latest attractions, Sweetie and Sunshine, will be the only Chinese ambassadors residing in the capital anytime soon.