NEW DELHI: The US on Wednesday
said it has spoken to China about support for its nuclear deal with India and
expressed hope that Beijing will take a positive view of global nuclear
cooperation with New Delhi.
"Yes, we have had conversations with
China. China has agreed to review carefully the necessary documentation before
taking a decision," US Ambassador David Mulford told reporters here in a
conference call from Cleveland.
"I have a feeling they will take a
positive view. But I can't speak for China," he replied when asked whether the
US was confident that China will back India in the 45-member Nuclear Suppliers
Group (NSG).
The telephonic interaction was arranged by the US
embassy at the American Centre.
The US is keen to convene a meeting
of the NSG in the first week of August after the approval of the India-specific
safeguards agreement by the IAEA board at its meeting on August 1.
The US wants the NSG process to be completed in August so that the
123 agreement can be endorsed by the US Congress in September before Washington
and New Delhi ink the bilateral civil nuclear cooperation agreement.
China, one of the five recognised nuclear weapon states and
influential member of the NSG, has been ambivalent about the India-US nuclear
deal and has yet to take a formal position on it.
However, during
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's meeting with Chinese President Hu Jintao July 9
on the sidelines of the G8 summit in Japan, Beijing indicated it will not be a
hurdle in the path of India in the NSG, said Indian officials.
After
winning the trust vote in parliament on Tuesday evening, the Indian government
has deputed special envoys to key NSG countries in order to get their support in
the IAEA and the NSG.
Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office
Prithviraj Chavan will soon travel to Beijing to seek its support in the NSG.