Prime Minister departs for China

Czech Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek has departed for a planned visit to China to take in the Beijing Olympics. Mr Topolánek will spend three days in the country although a detailed itinerary for the visit has not been made public. Several NGOs and other groups have been pressuring Mr Topolánek to address the issues of human rights, political prisoners and also Tibet during his stay. Although there is speculation just how Mr Topolánek will relay his concerns to China, most analysts are expecting a statement similar to those made by French president Nicolas Sarkozy or US president George W. Bush during similar visits.