AUSTRALIAN Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said in Beijing yesterday he opposed a boycott of the Beijing Olympic Games and suggested building "continuing, profound and sincere friendship" with China.

"Some have called for a boycott of the Beijing Olympics Games ... I do not agree," Rudd said in a speech at the elite Beijing University.

Rudd also said that handling the ongoing unrest in Tibet peacefully and through dialogue was the best way to resolve the issue.

Although Rudd's speech touched on many sensitive issues, he also received praise for voicing intentions to become a friend in the true Chinese tradition, who can "offer unflinching advice and counsel restraint."

Rudd also impressed students with his flawless Chinese — a talent unheard of among non-Chinese world leaders — while leaving the audience laughing over quick witticisms on China's history and culture.

At university, Rudd majored in the Chinese language, history and literature and later served as an Australian diplomat in Beijing in the 1980s.

"I enjoyed his discussion on how China needs to integrate with the world. This was very important," said a computer science graduate student who gave only his surname, Chen.

"As the world globalizes, we need more politicians that better understand how the East and the West can integrate. His message was that everyone needs to deepen understanding and the first step is through learning language."

Rudd arrived in Beijing yesterday morning on a four-day official visit to China.

He will hold talks with his Chinese counterpart, Wen Jiabao, who invited him to visit China.

He will also meet with Chinese President Hu Jintao in Hainan Province on the sidelines of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) on April 12. BFA is a platform for high-level interaction between leaders from Asia and the world.

(SD-Agencies)