November 22, 2007	Thursday	Ziqa’ad 11, 1428

NEW DELHI: China has indicated it will not stand in the way of a controversial Indian nuclear energy deal with the United States, the Indian government said on Wednesday, shedding its ambiguity over a pact which needs global approvals.

Beijing’s stance had caused concern in New Delhi until now as the pact needs unanimous backing at the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) — of which China is a member — although analysts had expected it to eventually support the deal.

The Chinese comments came at talks between Premier Wen Jiabao and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of the 16-nation East Asia Summit in Singapore.

“The two prime ministers discussed opportunities that exist for furthering cooperation in regional and multilateral forums on global issues such as climate change and energy security,” an Indian foreign ministry statement said.

“Premier Wen was forthcoming and supportive of international civil nuclear energy cooperation with India.”

On Tuesday, Singh was guardedly optimistic about Chinese support for the deal, which has been slowed by domestic opposition after his communist allies rejected it and threatened to end support to his coalition if he pursued it.

Asked by journalists accompanying him to Singapore about Chinese support at the NSG, Singh, who is expected to visit Beijing early next year, replied: “Well, I think the Chinese have not said that they would not support us.”

The deal aims to give India access to American nuclear fuel and reactors by lifting a ban imposed after New Delhi stayed out of the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and conducted a nuclear test in 1974.

It has been hailed as a symbol of the new friendship between India and the United States, but Indian communists who have been traditionally opposed to Washington, say it hurts sovereignty and puts New Delhi under American influence.

Last week, they softened their opposition and gave conditional approval to the government to hold talks with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to conclude a safeguards agreement needed to clinch the deal.

New Delhi also needs NSG support and the backing of the US Congress before nuclear commerce can begin and analysts remain unsure if the communists will allow the government to sign the IAEA pact and pursue the deal with the NSG.

China has in the past hinted that India should sign the NPT — something which New Delhi rejects as discriminatory — but analysts say they expect Beijing to swallow its complaints rather than risk a face-off.—Reuters