State Visit

The Clinton Administration, after refusing to grant Chinese President Jiang Zemin a formal state visit to the White House, agreed Monday to a summit between President Clinton and the Chinese leader in New York City later this month. Secretary of State Warren Christopher announced that Clinton and Jiang will meet Oct. 24 in New York, where both men will be attending ceremonies marking the 50th anniversary of the U.N. Security Council.

Dodging protesters and invoking history, President Bush paid a festive but condensed state visit to the Philippines on Saturday aimed at shoring up President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and her efforts to curb terrorism in the former U.S. protectorate.

President Kurt Waldheim of Austria was formally received in a state visit Thursday by Pope John Paul II, and Waldheim said afterward that they had talked about the accusations that he committed World War II crimes. Earlier, derisive shouts of "Shame!" and "Hangman!" were directed at Waldheim by former concentration camp inmates just outside the Vatican as the Austrian leader arrived for his meeting with the pontiff.

The pageantry of a state visit is the highest ceremonial treat Britain has to offer another country, and Queen Elizabeth II doesn't hand the accolade out like candy. By tradition, there are just two such occasions a year, and no Russian leader has been invited for one since Queen Victoria sat on the throne.

In the first state visit to Britain by a Russian leader since the 19th century, Vladimir V. Putin came to London on Tuesday as the guest of Queen Elizabeth II and was greeted with a red carpet at the airport, an artillery salute and a state banquet at Buckingham Palace. The president's visit is an effort to repair a rift over the U.S.-led war on Iraq -- which Britain supported and Russia opposed -- and reflects Russia's growing economic importance to Britain.

The pomp is the same, but the circumstance is different. President Obama's state visit to Britain, which kicked into high gear Tuesday, is only the second by an American leader during the 59-year reign of his host, Queen Elizabeth II. The first took place in 2003, when she received President George W. Bush at Buckingham Palace. Back then, thousands of angry protesters greeted Bush and jeered at his close relationship with Prime Minister Tony Blair, because of their united stand over the invasion of Iraq.

President Bush has invited Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip to make a state visit to Washington next May, Buckingham Palace announced Wednesday.

Israeli President Chaim Herzog left for Tel Aviv on Friday after a five-day state visit to France.

King Juan Carlos I of Spain and Queen Sofia arrived in Bonn on Monday for a five-day state visit to West Germany.

Philippine President Corazon Aquino will make a two-day state visit to Brunei on Aug. 23-24, Foreign Ministry officials said Thursday.