India and China have agreed in principle to resume direct flights between the two nations, nearly five years after the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent political tensions brought air services to a halt.
The announcement followed a visit to Beijing by India's Foreign Ministry Secretary Vikram Misri, marking one of the most senior official visits since the deadly 2020 border clash in the Himalayas.
A statement from India’s foreign ministry confirmed that technical authorities from both sides would meet soon to negotiate an updated framework for resuming direct air services.
Additionally, China has granted permission for the resumption of pilgrimages to a revered Hindu shrine that had been suspended for years. Both nations pledged to enhance diplomatic efforts to restore mutual trust and resolve trade and economic issues.
Before the pandemic, around 500 direct flights operated monthly between China and India. Services were halted in early 2020, with flights to Hong Kong resuming later, but not to the Chinese mainland due to the fallout from the border clash.
The skirmish along the high-altitude border claimed the lives of 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers, leading India to impose restrictions on Chinese companies and ban hundreds of Chinese apps, including TikTok.
China’s foreign ministry acknowledged ongoing efforts to improve ties, stating that "the improvement and development of China-India relations is fully in line with the fundamental interests of the two countries."
Misri’s visit comes weeks after a diplomatic tour by India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and follows a significant military disengagement agreement along a key border flashpoint reached last October. The diplomatic efforts are seen as a sign of thawing relations between the two nations, who remain strategic rivals in South Asia.
The announcement followed a visit to Beijing by India's Foreign Ministry Secretary Vikram Misri, marking one of the most senior official visits since the deadly 2020 border clash in the Himalayas.
A statement from India’s foreign ministry confirmed that technical authorities from both sides would meet soon to negotiate an updated framework for resuming direct air services.
Additionally, China has granted permission for the resumption of pilgrimages to a revered Hindu shrine that had been suspended for years. Both nations pledged to enhance diplomatic efforts to restore mutual trust and resolve trade and economic issues.
Before the pandemic, around 500 direct flights operated monthly between China and India. Services were halted in early 2020, with flights to Hong Kong resuming later, but not to the Chinese mainland due to the fallout from the border clash.
The skirmish along the high-altitude border claimed the lives of 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers, leading India to impose restrictions on Chinese companies and ban hundreds of Chinese apps, including TikTok.
China’s foreign ministry acknowledged ongoing efforts to improve ties, stating that "the improvement and development of China-India relations is fully in line with the fundamental interests of the two countries."
Misri’s visit comes weeks after a diplomatic tour by India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and follows a significant military disengagement agreement along a key border flashpoint reached last October. The diplomatic efforts are seen as a sign of thawing relations between the two nations, who remain strategic rivals in South Asia.
