Hu thanks Bush for Olympics visit

Hu thanks Bush for Olympics visit

TOYAKO, Japan (AFP) — Chinese President Hu Jintao on Wednesday thanked US President George W. Bush, who has announced he will attend the Beijing Olympics opening ceremonies, for not "politicising" the Games.

Hu said through an interpreter after talks with Bush on the margin of a rich nations summit in Japan that he "highly appreciated that President Bush has on various occasions expressed his opposition to politicising the Olympic Games."

"I told the president I was looking forward to coming to the Olympics. I reminded him that not only am I coming, but my wife, my mother and dad will be there and we're looking forward to your hospitality," Bush said.

"In this context, the president and I have constantly had discussions about human rights and political freedom. He knows my position and as I told our people, Mister President, I don't need the Olympics to talk candidly with somebody who I've got good relations with," he said.

Bush said Sunday that skipping the August 8 opening gala, as human rights activists had urged him to do, would have been "an affront" to China's people, making it harder to engage with China's leaders.

"So I'm looking forward to your hospitality," he said. "I'm hoping to get tickets for the US-Chinese basketball game. If you can help me get a ticket, I'd appreciate it."

The US leader said he and Hu had "candid discussions" on issues like Taiwan, Sudan and trade in their talks on the sidelines of the Group of Eight (G8) industrialised nations in northern Japan.

Hu said their "sincere and friendly" talks also covered diplomatic efforts to convince North Korea to abandon its atomic ambitions and Iran to curb its suspect nuclear programme.

"I also briefed President Bush on the Chinese position on the Taiwan issue and informed President Bush about the current situation in the Taiwan straits," said Hu.

"We hope that the US side will continue to follow the 'One-China' policy," Hu said, referring to Washington's policy of recognising only the Beijing government of mainland China, which views Taiwan as a renegade province.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy also announced on the margins of the G8 on Wednesday that he would attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games despite an earlier threat to boycott over a crackdown in Tibet.