London, Feb 22 (IANS) While India and China consult each other regularly at multilateral fora, there was still a sense of competition between the two Asian giants, Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said, adding that Beijing has a growing presence in South Asia.

'There is both competition and collaboration in the dynamic equilibrium of our relationship with China,' Rao said at a conference organized here by International Institute for Strategic Studies.

'Key elements in the India-China relationship like imbalances in bilateral trade, the unresolved boundary question, our dialogue on water resources with regard to the trans-border rivers like the Brahmaputra and the Sutlej point to the complex and evolving nature of our dialogue.'

She admitted that India will not only have to take a broad, multi-dimensional approach with China, it will have to create a 'menu of strategic options to ensure that we are able to protect and promote our interests effectively in our region.'

She pointed out that China not only has an 'enduring strategic relationship' with Pakistan, but also has 'a growing presence in other neighbouring countries'.

'We are conscious of these leverages that China has developed in our region and realize fully that our relations with China cannot be uni-dimensional, or seen through a narrow prism,' said Rao.

--Indo-Asian News SErvice

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