A Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister arrived today to attend the Asian Games beginning Saturday in the highest-level official visit here by a Vietnamese since Beijing and Hanoi fought a brief border war in 1979.

After stops in Japan and South Korea, Mr. Baker is to travel on Friday to Beijing in the highest-level visit by a Bush Administration official since the Tiananmen Square killings of June 1989.

Mr. Cohen's current visit is the highest-level visit to Colombia by a United States official during President Clinton's tenure.

In the highest-level visit by a Soviet official since normalization of relations between Moscow and Beijing in May, the Soviet Vice President arrived here today for six days of discussions with Chinese leaders.

It was the highest-level American visit to Mr. Arafat since last June, when President Bush called for his replacement by new leaders "not compromised by terror."

He made his remarks at the start of four days of intensive talks in China, the highest-level visit so far by a Clinton Administration official.

It was the highest-level visit from Pakistan since the fall of the Taliban government two years ago.

Vice President Al Gore is to travel to China with his family this month, in the Administration's highest-level visit to that country so far.

It was the highest-level visit by a North Korean since the nuclear crisis began more than a year ago.

The highest-level visit to Israel by a Soviet official ended this evening with no significant agreement to renew formal diplomatic relations or resolution of outstanding differences between Moscow and Jerusalem.