Bush to attend Games' opening ceremony

US President George W. Bush said on Thursday that he will attend the opening ceremony of the Beijing Olympic Games, despite calls for him to boycott the event.

"The president and Mrs Bush will attend the opening ceremonies of the Summer Olympic Games on Aug 8," as part of a trip to China after visiting the Republic of Korea and Thailand, White House press secretary Dana Perino said in a statement.

Some Western leaders have threatened to boycott the opening ceremony, and US presidential campaign rivals, Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Obama have also urged the president to skip the event. However, Bush has always said he would go to the Olympics to encourage US athletes, and rejected using the sports event as diplomatic leverage.