As America's special envoy, William Perry, prepared to outline his strategy for dealing with North Korea, the head of North Korea's parliament arrived in Beijing for a five-day visit the first such high-level visit in several years.

ECONOMIST: Peace?

High-level Chinese officials often seem to visit Moscow at times when tensions with Washington are high.

CNN: ALLIANCES

The meeting was the first high-level U.S.-Chinese contact since then-Defense Secretary Leon Panetta's brief visit to Beijing in September.

NPR: China's Leader Xi Meets US Treasury Secretary

She adds that Ms Ashton's visit is the latest in a stream of high-level diplomatic meetings that reveal a rapidly escalating process of international engagement between Burma and the rest of the world.

BBC: EU foreign policy chief Ashton visits Burma

And China has confirmed that America's defence secretary, Robert Gates, is to visit in the new year, ending a freeze on high-level military contacts imposed last January after America sold arms to Taiwan.

ECONOMIST: Banyan

As Bill Clinton prepared for an official visit to Mexico and Central America, Latin Americans at a high-level meeting in Atlanta accused the United States of footdragging over pan-American free trade.

ECONOMIST: Blair's Britain

"He was involved in an unsavory incident during President Park's state visit to the U.S. and displayed inappropriate behavior for a high-level official that was believed to hurt national dignity, " presidential press secretary Lee Nam-ki said at the time.

WSJ: Fired South Korean Aide Denies Abuse Allegations

This is the most senior UK visit to Brazil since April 2009 when Gordon Brown went to see then President Lula in Brasilia, followed by a visit to Sao Paulo where he joined up with Peter Mandelson and a high-level business delegation.

BBC: Viewpoint: UK firms wake up to Brazilian opportunities