Opening ceremony tough call for world leaders

Bush decided to attend the opening ceremonies, too, saying it would be an “affront to the Chinese people” if he stayed away.

The president of the European Parliament is among the few who have announced a formal boycott of the opening ceremony. Hans-Gert Poettering said he would skip the ceremony because of a lack of progress in talks between China and the Dalai Lama’s representatives.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown will only attend the closing ceremony and German Chancellor Angela Merkel has said, repeatedly, that the opening ceremony conflicts with her vacation.

Other leaders were glad to accept the invitation — and hope to gain political and economic mileage from increasingly mighty China out of making the journey to Beijing.

“The Chinese leadership has signaled that coming earns points for the countries concerned,” Paal said.

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Brazil’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva plans to lobby for Rio de Janeiro’s bid for the 2016 Olympics. Lula has said nothing about human rights in China — a huge and growing customer for Brazil’s resources such as soy and iron ore.

Vladimir Putin, prime minister of growing Chinese trading partner Russia, is also going, as is Wu Poh-hsiung, chairman of Taiwan’s ruling Nationalist Party.

Taiwan and China split amid civil war in 1949, and Beijing continues to see the island as part of its territory, to be brought back in the fold by force if necessary. Since taking office in May, Taiwan’s President Ma Ying-jeou has undone pro-independence policies of his predecessor, embracing closer economic cooperation with the mainland.

The Caribbean island nation of Grenada is gladly supporting the Chinese games, after switching alliances from Taiwan to China in 2005. Beijing showed its thanks by building a multimillion dollar cricket stadium on the tiny island last year — and hundreds of Chinese school students will be sent out to wave flags in support of Grenada’s nine Olympic athletes in Beijing.

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