Manmohan Singh and Hu Jintao

New Delhi, July 25: An emissary of the Prime Minister is travelling to Beijing on Monday bearing Manmohan Singh’s letter to President Hu Jintao as part of an attempt to shore up India’s case at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) when the nuclear deal comes up before them.

The trip of Prithviraj Chavan, the minister of state in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), also comes at a time the Indian establishment is a bit concerned about Beijing’s ambiguity on the safeguards agreement. The official word is China is still studying the text.

Sources said China’s response would have to be “carefully” watched in the days to come, especially since Pakistan, a key ally, had sent a letter to the IAEA expressing concern at the “discriminatory and dangerous” exemption for India.

Foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee had told a TV news channel that China had agreed to “review carefully” the necessary documentation before taking a decision. “I have a feeling they will take a positive view,” he said.

The US ambassador to India, David C. Mulford, said America had requested China to support the nuclear deal and hoped that it would look at global nuclear cooperation with Delhi positively.

Pakistan’s letter was circulated a few days ago after it intensified efforts to block the approval of the safe-guards agreement when the board meets in Vienna on August 1.

Citing rules and the nature of the India-specific agreement, Pakistan questioned the attempt to “rush through” the process of approval and said there was “no good technical or substantive reason” to waive the 45-day period before it was taken up for ratification.

While sources said they were “confident” of getting a majority of the IAEA members’ approval even if the draft was put to vote, they sounded unsure of China’s support. If China voted against it, the sources sounded doubtful if it would change its position at the NSG in India’s favour.

Manmohan’s letter is expected to solicit China’s help at both the IAEA and the NSG and will be handed to Hu through the state councillor in charge of foreign affairs.

Delhi hopes that a dose of hardsell on how Beijing’s cooperation will open the doors for “great business opportunities” in India will bolster its case.

As Manmohan was flooded with congratulatory calls after winning the trust vote in Parliament from various heads of state, including George W. Bush, Gordon Brown, Angela Merkel and Yousaf Raza Gilani, there was no word from Beijing.

The Prime Minister also spoke to Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and sought Moscow’s backing at the NSG.

“That we won the confidence vote in Parliament after shaking the communists off is something that is not lost on the West,” a source said.

After China, Chavan will go to Italy. Since these countries are both IAEA and NSG members, the visits had to be completed before August 1. He will later visit Portugal and Spain, both NSG countries.