A Chinese checker for Left…

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s decision to send special envoys to IAEA/ NSG countries ahead of the crucial August 1 meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors appears to have worked in India’s favour, especially in the case of China. There were concerns in Delhi about China’s stance at the August 1 meeting, given the close relationship between the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Left parties in India, which were bent on killing the Indo-US nuclear deal. Two days before the IAEA meeting, the PM’s special envoy Prithviraj Chavan made a whirlwind six-hour-long-tour of Beijing during which he met top Chinese officials and also had lunch with the head of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, Wang Jiarui. As Chavan confided to his party and ministerial colleagues here later, Jiarui had assured China’s support at the IAEA saying that while the CPC does have friendly relations with “some political parties” in India, it will not come in the way of the relationship between the two countries. It was after this meeting that the Government of India heaved a sigh of relief.