Washington - US President George W Bush will attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics this August, the White House confirmed Thursday, setting aside months of uncertainty over his intentions. Whether world leaders would attend the August 8 event has been the subject of much speculation since the beginning of the year, given protests over China's human rights record.
A number of European leaders said they would not attend after China's crackdown on Tibetan protestors earlier this year, including those of Germany, Italy and Britain.
French President Nicholas Sarkozy has not said yet whether he would attend the opening ceremony.
"The president and Mrs Bush will attend the Opening Ceremonies of the Summer Olympic Games on August 8," the White House said in a statement.
