Pupils from China visited the Barking and Dagenham Post headquarters as part of a 12-day visit to the country.

The group of eight to 12-year-olds from Tianjin TEDA Experimental School toured our office at Maritime House, Linton Road, Barking, and asked group editor Michael Adkins a series of questions about local journalism and the industry.

During the visit on Tuesday July 16, they took pictures and each pupil and teacher received gifts.

Answers given during the interviews will be used to form the basis of a journalism project when they return to China.

Teacher Yang Sen said: "We are very grateful for this visit and I thank you for your words of encouragement to those who want to become journalists."

Pupils covered everything from the opportunities and threats of new media, typical newspaper readers and online audience, the impact of Brexit and local relationships with China.

They were interested to learn of the inaugural 'Silk Road' freight train which arrived in Barking in January 2017 - after an 18 day trip - to deliver 34 containers of clothes and high street goods.