US President George W Bush plans to attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics despite a potential boycott, according to US Deputy Secretary of State John Negroponte.
It is important for the US, Negroponte indicates, to show the 1.3 billion Chinese people that they are welcome on the international stage.
During his testimony before Congress, Negroponte said a boycott would only "inflame tensions and polarise attitudes".
However, he continued to say the US would take the opportunity before, during and after the Games to urge China to improve its conditions regarding Tibet and human rights.
Negroponte told lawmakers Beijing must engage with the Dalai Lama, Tibet's spiritual leader, otherwise the country's public vilifications will do nothing to alleviate ongoing tensions.
It is China's responsibility, Negroponte noted, to protect and uphold the rights of its minority groups, including Tibetans.
Protests against Chinese rule in Tibet began on March 10 in Lhasa and have quickly spread across the globe.
Olympic torch relays in London, Paris, San Francisco and Islamabad were all marred by human rights protests.
The Dalai Lama, regarded as a living god by millions of his followers, is currently living in exile in Dharamsala, northern India.
The article Bush to attend Olympic ceremonies despite protests originally appeared on 999 Today
comments
What do you think? Give us your opinion on the comments page.