JIANG SPARED EMBARRASSMENT

President Jiang Zemin was saved the embarrassment of being driven past the Falun Gong rally at the Lisboa.

The sect members were removed as his plane landed.

He was met by scores of children holding flowers, waving national flags and chanting 'welcome'.

Chinese Central Television described Mr Jiang's arrival as an 'historic moment, a great mark and a new page in the history of the Chinese nation'.

It was the first time a Chinese head of state had visited Macau.

The Chinese delegation included Vice-Premier Qian Qichen, and Zhuo Lin and Deng Lin, wife and daughter of the late Deng Xiaoping, architect of the 'one country, two systems' concept.