washington • US lawmakers yesterday called on China to live up to Olympic ideals by ending human rights abuses and ditching tainted governments in Sudan and Myanmar, nine days before the Games begin in Beijing.

The House of Representatives voted 419 to 1 to endorse a resolution asking China to "immediately end abuses of the human rights of its citizens, to cease repression of Tibetan and Uighur citizens, and to end its support for the governments of Sudan and Burma (Myanmar)."

Such action would "ensure that the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games take place in an atmosphere that honors the Olympic traditions of freedom and openness," the resolution said.

"In exchange for the privilege of hosting the Olympic Games, the Chinese government made commitments on freedom of the press, human rights, and on the environment," House speaker Nancy Pelosi said. "Any of these commitments have been violated repeatedly and blatantly."

Pelosi also called on President George W Bush to use the "tremendous leverage" of his August 8 visit to the Games opening ceremony, to press Beijing on human rights and trade protectionism.

Howard Berman, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs committee, said China had failed to improve its record on human rights during the run-up to the Games.

"Now is the time to call on China to take immediate, substantial and serious action if there is to be any hope that the Olympic Games will take place in an atmosphere that honors the Olympic spirit of freedom and openness," he said.

Bush, in a move likely to anger China, met with five Chinese dissidents on Tuesday and told them he would take a "message of freedom" to next month's Olympic Games in Beijing.

"President Bush met with five Chinese freedom activists to discuss his concerns about human rights in China," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said in a statement.

"The president assured them that he will carry the message of freedom as he travels to Beijing for the games, just as he has regularly made this a priority in all of his meetings with Chinese officials," she said.

Perino said Bush met with Harry Wu, Wei Jingsheng, Rebiya Kadeer, Sasha Gong and Bob Fu. The meeting was held at the White House residence instead of the Oval Office, out of sight of cameras and the White House only revealed the meeting in a statement after it was over.

Bush "told the activists that engagement with Chinese leaders gives him an opportunity to make the United States' position clear — human rights and religious freedom should not be denied to anyone," Perino said.

"The president asked them about their personal experiences in their peaceful efforts to press for more freedom in China," she said.