From correspondents in Washington, United States, 01:32 PM IST

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met her Chinese counterpart Jiechi Yang Monday ahead of next month's Olympics in Beijing.

The two diplomats were expected to discuss President George W. Bush's attendance at the opening ceremonies on Aug 8 and a host of bilateral issues.

Bush decided to participate in the event despite calls from human rights groups for a boycott because of China's crackdown against Tibetan monks earlier this year.

The United States has urged China against using security concerns in the run-up to the Olympics as a pretext for pressuring political dissidents.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)