Olympic Games 2008

Sarkozy, Bush land in Beijing for Olympic opening

Article published on the 2008-08-08 Latest update 2008-08-08 12:20 TU

Chinese police patrol streets outside the stadium
(Credit: Reuters)

French President Nicolas Sarkozy landed in Beijing on Friday, hours before the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympic Games. He told French athletes he rejected human rights campaidners' calls for a boycott of China and the Olympics. Meanwhile, a Paris court overturned a police ban on human rights groups protesting outside the Chinese Embassy in Paris.

One of the rally organisers Reporters Without Borders (MSF), a media watchdog group, is planning to march from the Champs Elysees in Paris to the Chinese Embassy Friday afternoon.

Similar rallies were being conducted in six other European cities, according to MSF.

Olympic protests have spread as far as Tibet, where 1,100 protesters were arrested in Kathmandu near the Chinese embassy buildings. The demonstrators shouted, "Tibet belongs to the Tibetans," and "Shame, shame Hu Jintao."

Back in Beijing, Sarkozy met with Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao on Friday during his whirlwind 12-hour trip.

"We must accompany China towards openness, tolerance and progress-- towards respect for our values," said Sarkozy.

US President George W. Bush was also in town to watch the opening of the Olympic Games. He said he was not on hand to politicise his attendance, but noted, "I strongly believe societies that allow the free expression of ideas tend to be the most prosperous and the most peaceful."

Bush has faced mounting criticism at home for his decision to attend the opening ceremony because of Chinese human rights abuses.