INTERNATIONAL DESK: The state of the border with China will determine the state of our relationship, foreign minister S Jaishankar said on Monday as he underlined that much of the future of Asia depends on how relations between India and China develop in the foreseeable future and that adherence to laws, norms and rules will be crucial for managing the fissures in the continent.

Jaishankar said sovereignty and territorial integrity will have to be respected and that initiatives that impact the region must be consultative, not unilateral. Connectivity, in particular, should be transparent, viable and market-based, said the minister while addressing a gathering at the launch of Asia Society Policy Institute.

“Similarly, development agendas also need to be broad-based and reflect the global consensus, rather than just individual national objectives. Contributing to the well-being of the global commons and providing global goods can also make a big difference. And not least, agreements and judgements must be scrupulously adhered to, not regarded as matters of convenience,” he said.

Jaishankar also said India and China not coming together will undermine the ‘Asian Century’.

“It is said that the pre-requisite for an Asian Century is an India and China coming together. Conversely, their inability to do so will undermine it,” said the minister, reiterating that for ties to return to a positive trajectory and remain sustainable, they must be based on the three mutuals: mutual sensitivity, mutual respect and mutual interest.

Jaishankar emphasised that a narrow Asian chauvinism is actually against the continent’s own interest and that precisely because Asia is so energetic and creative, it would like to benefit from the open doors of other regions. “That obviously cannot be a one way street,” he said. (Times Of India)