Nixon in Beijing, Will Discuss Sino-U.S. Ties : China: The former president is making his sixth visit at a time when relations are strained over the June crackdown on demonstrators.

Former President Richard M. Nixon arrived here Saturday on a visit aimed at exploring the possibilities for an improvement in strained Sino-U.S. relations.

Functioning as an unofficial emissary of President Bush, Nixon is expected to meet paramount leader Deng Xiaoping and other top Chinese officials during his visit of approximately six days. Chinese Foreign Minister Qian Qichen, speaking Saturday evening at a welcoming banquet for Nixon, praised his role in “opening the gate” to restored Sino-U.S. relations with his historic 1972 visit to Beijing.

“At present, when Sino-U.S. relations are at a difficult and critical moment, he is paying his sixth visit to China, once again showing his political foresight and courage,” Qian said, according to a report by the official New China News Agency. Foreign media were not allowed to be present at the banquet.

Nixon, speaking in reply, called himself “a friend of China” but said that nations cannot base their ties on friendship alone, the official news agency reported. He explained that common interests have been the key to the growth of Sino-U.S. relations, the agency said.

Relations between Washington and Beijing have been strained since June 4, when People’s Liberation Army soldiers were sent into the Chinese capital to clear pro-democracy student demonstrators from Tian An Men Square. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Beijing residents and students were killed as the army shot its way into the city.

Two days after the massacre, China’s most prominent pro-democracy activist, astrophysicist Fang Lizhi--who had stayed clear of any direct involvement in this spring’s street protests but was still a certain target for arrest--took refuge in the U.S. Embassy in Beijing.

Fang was accompanied by his wife, Li Shuxian, a physics professor at Beijing University, and one of his sons, Fang Zhe, 25, a physics student at Beijing Teachers University. Fang Zhe left the embassy weeks later and is living at his parents’ home, but Fang and Li remain in the embassy.

China has repeatedly denounced the United States for sheltering the couple, but early fears that the Chinese might launch an assault on the embassy in violation of international diplomatic practice have subsided.

Nixon, traveling as a private citizen, made no statement to the press upon his arrival. He was greeted at Beijing airport by a former Chinese ambassador to the United States, Han Xu; Vice Foreign Minister Liu Huaqiu, and James R. Lilley, the U.S. ambassador to China.

John Taylor, a spokesman for Nixon, said here Saturday that Nixon “has spoken with President Bush a couple of times about this visit and assured the President any report he has on this trip, he will make to the President.”

Sheridan Bell, a spokesman for the American Embassy here, confirmed Administration interest.

“Mr. Nixon is going to write a report about his trip here, and the White House will look forward to reading that,” Bell said.