The City Council approved a resolution today urging conservative radio personality Rush Limbaugh to apologize for mocking Chinese President Hu Jintao during his visit to Washington, D.C., last month to meet with President Barack Obama.

Council members approved the non-binding resolution by a vote of 8-1. Councilman Tom Berg cast the lone no vote.

Limbaugh was criticized by Asian community groups last month over his use of mock Chinese to imitate a speech by Hu. 

Citing the more than 170,000 people of Chinese ancestry in Hawaii and noting that 58 percent of Honolulu’s population is of Asian ancestry, the resolution urges Limbaugh "to apologize to United States citizens of Asian ancestry, President Hu Jintao, and the citizens of the People’s Republic of China for his offensive and derogatory remarks about the Chinese language and President Hu."

The resolution also notes the upcoming Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation conference scheduled for November in Honolulu in asking for Limbaugh’s apology.

Introduced by Councilmen Stanley Chang and Romy Cachola, the resolution further urges Clear Channel Communications to implement policies against racial discrimination in its radio programs and for sponsors of radio talk shows to implement policies barring sponsorship of radio broadcasts that permit racial bigotry and intolerance.