Photo by M.V. Jantzen

Mayor Vince Gray and a delegation of government and private-sector officials set off tomorrow for a week-long trip to China, where they’ll pitch D.C. investment opportunities to the Chinese government and investors and participate in a sustainability conference.

Traveling to China certainly isn’t cheap, though, and the city is constantly looking to cut costs where it can. While the Gray administration originally said that the Chinese would be covering the costs for the trip, today it specified that D.C. would be paying $22,600 for flights, lodging and per diem for Gray and three other senior officials, including Deputy Mayor for Planning and Economic Development Victor Hoskins and director of the Office of Planning Harriet Tregoning. The group will be flying coach—for 14 hours!—and as the City Paper reports, Gray won’t be taking his security detail with him.

The municipal government of Beijing will cover the costs of a sustainability conference, though, including registration and lodging for the three days that Gray, Hoskins and Tregoning will be there. The total cost is pegged at $2,500.

If you’re wondering why Gray is putting this information out, consider that former Mayor Adrian Fenty often got into trouble when he refused to tell reporters when and where he was going, who was paying for it and whether his security detail would travel with him.

Gray will be back stateside on July 1, and he better bring us all presents.