BEIJING – US President George W. Bush and his Chinese counterpart Hu Jintao discussed the devastating earthquake and the situation in Tibet by telephone on Tuesday, China’s foreign ministry said.
“Bush said that America was deeply concerned about the earthquake that hit China’s Sichuan province, expressed sympathy towards the Chinese people, and was willing to provide any help possible for rescue efforts,” the foreign ministry said in a statement on its website.
The 7.9-magnitude earthquake hit China on Monday leaving more than 12,000 dead and thousands more feared buried.
Hu reiterated that Tibet was an internal matter for China to handle, the statement said.
He said he hoped Washington could “cautiously and appropriately” handle the relevant issues with an “objective and fair attitude,” the statement said.
The United States has urged Beijing to seek dialogue with the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s exiled spiritual leader, following deadly violence in the western Chinese region earlier this year.
