India, China in no mood for confrontation: Narayanan

New Delhi, Mar 17 (UNI) Acknowledging that resolving the India-China border dispute ''is a difficult task,'' National Security Adviser M K Narayanan has expressed the hope that ''finally things will work out like the nuclear deal'' with the United States.

Mr Narayanan, India's Special Representative for the talks over the border question, however, said in an interview to ''The Week'' that ''China and India are in any mood for a confrontational relationship.'' Asked whether some sort of an agreement had been reached with China over the middle sector, he said ''No, we have not had any agreement.'' The two countries were trying to work out a frame-work on how to resolve the issues before going for actual delineation of the border, he said.

''We are looking for a package solution. If some sector can be sorted out without affecting our overall package, we will look at it. In the overall package if we can give somewhere and take somewhere it is easier. Once you have conceded, there is no scope for flexibility,'' he said.

Asked about India's strategic perspective on China, Mr Narayanan accepted that Beijing was a primary Asian power which was building up its contacts and linkages. ''But if you take the whole of southeast Asia, and even east Asia, people find India far more comfortable (to deal) with...Yes, in the immediate neighbourhood there are countries which have problems with us.

''Some of them look to China as a counterweight. There is some degree of concern on this point...China, the US, all like to have their spheres of influence. But I don't think China and India are in any mood for a confrontational relationship.'' UNI SN VD ND1900