It is in China though...

you might read that as a signal about the quality of the ‘joke’

Variants of this have been around for a century.

Russian Prime Minister Medvedev comes to President Putin and nervously tells him to abolish these time zones.

- Why, Putin asks him?

- Ah, I can't find myself with these times:

- I fly to another city, call home and everyone is asleep,

- I last woke you up at 4 in the morning, but I thought it was only evening,

- I call Angela Merkel to congratulate her on her birthday and she tells me she had it yesterday,

- I wish the Chinese President a happy New Year, and he says it will be tomorrow.

- Well, these are just minor awkwardness, Putin answered him

- Do you remember when that Polish plane crashed with the president? I called them to express my condolences, but the plane hadn't taken off yet !!