Special report:   2008 Olympic Games    

U.S. President George W. Bush said on Thursday that he would attend the 2008 Beijing Olympics as scheduled. (Xinhua/Reuters file Photo) Photo Gallery>>>

    LONDON, Feb. 15 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President George W. Bush said on Thursday that he would attend the 2008 Beijing Olympics as scheduled.

    "I'm going to the Olympics. I view the Olympics as a sporting event," Bush told the BBC in an interview aired on the day.

    As for Hollywood movie director Steven Spielberg's withdrawal from Beijing Olympics as an artistic adviser over alleged concerns over the violence in Sudan's Darfur region, Bush said he had no reason to use the Olympics as a way to highlight such issues.

    "I have a little different platform than Steven Spielberg, so I get to talk to President Hu Jintao," the president said.

    Spielberg Wednesday announced his decision to quit the upcoming Olympics as an artistic adviser, citing concerns over the violence in Darfur, which he linked to the Chinese government.

    Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told a regular press conference Thursday that China has exerted positive efforts to resolve the Darfur issue, and that linking the issue to the Olympic Games will not help and is against the Olympic Spirit that separates sports from politics.

China says linking Olympics with Darfur issue against Olympic Spirit

    BEIJING, Feb.14 (Xinhua) -- China said Thursday it exerts positive efforts to resolve Darfur issue, and that linking the issue to the Olympic Games will not help and is against the Olympic Spirit that separates sports from politics.  Full story

China to continue discussion with Sudan on Darfur issue 

    BEIJING, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) --  China's position on Darfur issue is very clear, and its starting point is to push forward the reconciliation process in the region so as to ease the humanitarian crisis and restore stability and development in the region and help people there to get rid of the difficulties in their life, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said here Thursday. Full story