Bush, Hu discuss Tibet, other Asian issues

WASHINGTON, March 26 (UPI) -- U.S. President George W. Bush telephoned Chinese President Hu Jintao Wednesday, voicing concerns about the situation in Tibet, the White House said.

Bush encouraged the Chinese government to engage in "substantive dialog" with the Dalai Lama's representatives and allow journalists and diplomats access to the region, White House press secretary Dana Perino said in a statement.

The two leaders also discussed other matters of concern in Asia, she said.

Bush and Hu discussed denuclearization of North Korea, Perino said, with the two pledging to continue to work with other negotiation partners "in urging North Korea to deliver a complete and correct declaration of all its nuclear weapons programs and nuclear proliferation activities and to complete the agreed disablement."

Regarding Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, "President Bush expressed his concern that the regime intends to hold a referendum that was drafted without input from democratic or ethnic minority groups," Perino said.

The two leaders discussed the need for the Myanmar leadership to change the referendum process to make it "free, fair, and credible" to Myanmar citizens and the international community, Perino said.