As for the upcoming Beijing Olympics, the president said the message of his visit to China and to attend the Beijing Olympics is "that I personally and America respect the Chinese people -- respect your history, respect your tradition, and I'm honored to have been invited to the Games."

"And I made a decision not to politicize the Games; this is for athletics," he said.

Earlier this month, the White House has confirmed that Bush will attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics.

The president, a sports fan himself, said he will also watch some events during the Games, including the men's basketball game between China and the United States.

"I'm sure we will walk around the different venue sites and just get a sense for the whole atmosphere of people from all around the world coming to Beijing to compete in the Olympic Games. That's going to be a proud moment for the Chinese people," he said.

In the end, Bush said he is looking forward to meeting Chinese President Hu Jintao in Beijing.

He said he and President Hu have "very cordial relations" and "it's important to be able to have those kinds of relations."

"I'm very comfortable in his presence, and we will talk about the kinds of issues we always talk about," Bush said.

Bush is scheduled to leave for a three-nation Asia tour on Aug.4. He will visit South Korea and Thailand before going to China on Aug. 7, where he will attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympics on Aug. 8.

(Xinhua News Agency August 1, 2008)