Bush, Hu discuss Olympics at summit

TOYAKO, Japan, July 9 (UPI) -- U.S. President George Bush and Chinese President Hu Jintao had bilateral talks Wednesday in Japan, discussing the Beijing Olympics and other topics.

As the three-day Group of Eight summit wrapped up, Hu thanked Bush for not boycotting the Olympics as a human rights protest, which other Western leaders such as German Chancellor Angela Merkel and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown plan to do. Bush said he didn't need the occasion of the Olympics to focus on human rights in China.

"In this context, (Hu) and I have constantly had discussions about human rights and political freedom," Bush told reporters. "He knows my position. And, as I told our people, 'Mr. President, I don't need the Olympics to talk candidly with somebody who I've got good relations with.'"

Bush said earlier at the G8 summit that not going to the Olympics' opening ceremony would "be an affront to the Chinese people," making make it more difficult to speak frankly with Chinese leaders.

At their meeting, Bush and Hu also discussed terrorism, energy, trade, the environment and the nuclear weapons issues surrounding North Korea and Iran.