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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Bush to attend Olympic ceremony | Bush to attend Olympic ceremony |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| US President George W Bush will attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, the White House says. | US President George W Bush will attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics, the White House says. |
| Human rights groups and opposition politicians including presidential hopeful Barack Obama had urged Mr Bush to consider boycotting the ceremony. | Human rights groups and opposition politicians including presidential hopeful Barack Obama had urged Mr Bush to consider boycotting the ceremony. |
| Beijing's rights record has come under intense scrutiny since Tibetan protests were suppressed in March. | Beijing's rights record has come under intense scrutiny since Tibetan protests were suppressed in March. |
| Troops used force to quell the biggest anti-China demonstrations in Tibetan communities for two decades. | Troops used force to quell the biggest anti-China demonstrations in Tibetan communities for two decades. |
| Beijing says rioters killed about 20 people in the unrest, but exiled Tibetan groups accuse security forces of killing scores of protesters. | Beijing says rioters killed about 20 people in the unrest, but exiled Tibetan groups accuse security forces of killing scores of protesters. |
| 'Supporting athletes' | 'Supporting athletes' |
| The decision by the US president comes as a key symbolic victory for China and will please leaders and Olympic organisers there, says the BBC's James Reynolds in Beijing. | The decision by the US president comes as a key symbolic victory for China and will please leaders and Olympic organisers there, says the BBC's James Reynolds in Beijing. |
| Some world leaders are missing the 8 August opening ceremony. | Some world leaders are missing the 8 August opening ceremony. |
| Germany's Angela Merkel is not attending the Olympics. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown will be in Beijing for the closing ceremony only. | |
| French President Nicolas Sarkozy says his attendance depends on progress in dialogue between Beijing and the Tibetan government-in-exile. | |
| While it was understood that Mr Bush would go to the Games, no firm plans for the opening had been revealed. | While it was understood that Mr Bush would go to the Games, no firm plans for the opening had been revealed. |
| White House spokeswoman Dana Perino announced the US president's decision in a statement. | White House spokeswoman Dana Perino announced the US president's decision in a statement. |
| "He believes he's going to China to support first and foremost our athletes. He sees this as a sporting competition," she said. | "He believes he's going to China to support first and foremost our athletes. He sees this as a sporting competition," she said. |
| Mr Bush and his wife, Laura, will meet Chinese President Hu Jintao as part of their visit to China, and also visit South Korea and Thailand, the White House said. | Mr Bush and his wife, Laura, will meet Chinese President Hu Jintao as part of their visit to China, and also visit South Korea and Thailand, the White House said. |
| The US announcement comes days after senior envoys of Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, held a second round of talks with a Chinese official in Beijing. | The US announcement comes days after senior envoys of Tibet's exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, held a second round of talks with a Chinese official in Beijing. |
| The outcome of the discussions has not been revealed. | The outcome of the discussions has not been revealed. |