FACTBOX - World leaders to attend Olympics opening in Beijing
(Reuters) - Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf cancelled his scheduled visit to China on Wednesday, two days before he was to attend the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony, a member of his entourage said.
The visit was cancelled as opponents in the country's coalition government consulted over his possible impeachment.
More than 80 state leaders and royals are expected to attend Friday's opening ceremony. Attendance is a closely watched issue, as rights groups have urged leaders to boycott the Games in protest against China's crackdown on May riots in Tibet and its ties with the government in Sudan.
Here is a preliminary list of world leaders who are expected to attend, and not attend, the opening ceremony:
- WILL ATTEND:
AFGHANISTAN - President Hamid Karzai
AUSTRALIA - Prime Minister Kevin Rudd
BRAZIL - President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva
CAMBODIA - King Norodom Sihamoni
COOK ISLANDS - Head of State Frederick Goodwin
CROATIA - President Stjepan Mesic
FIJI - Interim Prime Minister Commodore Frank Bainimarama
FINLAND - Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen
FRANCE - President Nicolas Sarkozy
JAPAN - Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda
MAURITIUS - President Sir Anerood Jugnauth. Continued...
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