India:China gives support for civilian nuclear plans

SAPPORO, Japan-China has expressed its support for India's plans to push ahead with developing civilian-use nuclear energy, India's Foreign Secretary said on Tuesday.India is set to take the next step in its pursuit of a civilian nuclear deal with the United States, with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh saying a formal approach to the International Atomic Energy Agency will happen "very soon.""We do not anticipate that this will be a difficulty between us," Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon told a news conference."In fact the Chinese side expressed its willingness to cooperate with India in developing its civilian-use nuclear energy and its peaceful uses."He was speaking after a meeting between Singh and China's Hu Jintao, part of a series of bilateral meetings he had with counterparts of other big emerging economies before they meet with Group of Eight leaders on Wednesday.Communist parties that had provided parliamentary support for four years said earlier on Tuesday they were withdrawing their backing in protest against the deal with the United States, which they say makes India subservient to Washington.The parties will call for a vote of no confidence in the government but the government believes it will survive the vote, having secured parliamentary support from the regional Samajwadi Party.India needs to seek approval for the deal from the IAEA, then the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), where there is doubt about it since India is outside the Non-Proliferation Treaty, and finally ratification by the U.S. Congress.Menon said the NSG members India had met on Tuesday had seemed supportive.
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As in the days of Noah....