Bush defends Olympics trip

TOYAKO, Japan (CNN) - President Bush defended his decision to attend next month's Olympics opening ceremony in Beijing, China, saying to do otherwise "would be an affront to the Chinese people, which would make it more difficult to be able to speak more frankly with the Chinese leadership."

Japan's Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, at a joint news conference with President Bush Sunday, also announced that he would attend the opening ceremony despite concerns about human rights in China that prompted some other world leaders to boycott the event.

Bush and Fukuda took questions from reporters Sunday ahead of the start of the summit of the Group of Eight industrialized nations being hosted by Japan this week.

President Bush assured Japan that the issue of North Korea's past kidnappings of Japanese citizens will not be ignored by the United States. He told Fukuda that he was "fully aware of the sensitivity of the issue in your country" and that "the United States will not abandon you on this issue."

President Bush said North Korea's recent destruction of a water cooling tower at its now-defunct nuclear facility and its declaration outlining its plutonium program are positive steps, but there are "more to be taken."