Economic ties, particularly prospects for investment, and the potential for increasing cooperation in international affairs have also been important themes, but not surprisingly human right demonstrators and protests against China's occupation of Tibet have been ignored.

In its breakfast news bulletin Chinese CCTV carried a report on Jiang being welcomed by the Queen and Prince Philip and driven to Buckingham Palace in horse-drawn carriages.

The TV showed the carriages driving down the Mall and crowds waving Chinese and British flags, accompanied by an announcer-read report.

The official Chinese news agency Xinhua listed every detail of the "grand ceremony" at Horse Guards and the state banquet in Jiang's honour at Buckingham Palace, which it said proceeded in an "atmosphere of warmth and friendship" .

'Streets bedecked with flags'

In a feature entitled "Buckingham Palace welcomes honoured Chinese guests" , the agency noted that "according to British royal customs, the Queen only receives two heads of state every year. President Jiang is the only honoured guest to stay in Buckingham Palace this year" .

Chinese media have ignored the protests in London

Xinhua also highlighted the number of people gathered on the streets to greet Jiang. "Major streets in London were bedecked with Chinese and British national flags to welcome the Chinese honoured guests ... Several thousand people from various circles, Chinese in Britain, and Chinese students studying in Britain were there from various parts of Britain to welcome the Chinese President's visit," it said.

Upbeat commentaries emphasizing positive developments in Sino-British relations have been featured by both Xinhua and the Chinese press.

The official Communist Party daily `Renmin Ribao'commented on the eve of Jiang's visit that a new chapter in relations had begun with the " successful return of Hong Kong" and that Tony Blair's Labour Party had been "actively promoting the development of extensive, constructive relations with China" .

Many media reports have stressed the importance of Sino-British economic ties, noting that Britain is now China's second largest trading partner in Western Europe and that its investments in China exceed those of other EU countries.

An editorial in the Hong Kong newspaper `Ta Kung Pao' said trade and economic cooperation and China's bid to join the World Trade Organization would top the agenda of talks during the visits.

The tour also seeks to draw a line under the bombing of the Chinese embassy in Belgrade during NATO's Kosovo campaign. Noting that three of the countries on Jiang's tour were West European, `Ta Kung Pao' said that thanks to the efforts of Beijing and the relevant countries, "China's relations with these countries basically have returned to normal" .