He really means the question of how to deal with Iran. China has a very, very important role to play -- in case of a vote in the UN Security Council, for example. Getting China to actively cooperate with the West in this respect is an important goal.

It has implications for the functions of the BND. We do depend in some areas of the world on international cooperation with other secret services, and being dragged into the limelight of public debate is not really helpful.

This trip represents the next step in going back to functioning and reliable German-American relations.

I realized pretty soon that I have to do more than just play bass in the background way. So, I developed a kind of playing which only a handful of musicians accepted.

On the other hand, I'm very tolerant as well. I expect that everybody can play what they want. I'm only not tolerant when it comes to myself and what is presented on my album that I have to listen to for the rest of my life.

In 1972, I got my first electric bass and started playing the kind of instrument I play now. I found that the majority of musicians couldn't bear that. They are not used to listening to the bass because they think the bass is in the background to support them.