Bush to Dedicate Beijing Embassy Before Olympics Opening Ceremony

U.S. President George Bush is set to dedicate an expansive new U.S. embassy complex in Beijing Friday, before the opening of the Summer Olympics. The dedication ceremony will begin at precisely 8:08 (1208 GMT) on August 8, 2008, because the number eight is considered lucky in China. Mr. Bush's father, former President George H. W. Bush, and former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger also will take part in the ceremony. The embassy complex was built at a cost of more than $434 million, and is the second largest construction project in the history of the U.S. State Department. U.S. Ambassador Clarke Randt said the massive new embassy complex is a symbol of the importance of U.S.-China ties. China opened its own enormous new embassy in Washington last week. President Bush will meet later with Chinese President Hu Jintao... [read full story]