India and China Agree to Resume Air Travel and Journalistic Exchanges
India and China have taken a significant step toward normalizing relations by agreeing to resume direct air travel, nearly five years after ties soured following a deadly 2020 border clash.
Beijing/New Delhi – India and China have taken a significant step toward normalizing relations by agreeing to resume direct air travel, nearly five years after ties soured following a deadly 2020 border clash. The agreement, announced by India's foreign ministry on Monday, comes as both nations work to rebuild trust and strengthen diplomatic ties.
Both sides are set to negotiate a framework for the resumption of flights at an early meeting, with China's foreign ministry confirming plans to facilitate the exchange of journalists. This development is part of broader efforts to ease tensions and promote functional cooperation.
The thaw in relations follows several high-level discussions, including a meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in October 2024. During recent talks in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri emphasized the need for mutual understanding and collaboration on economic and trade concerns.
While the nations have agreed to enhance communication on cross-border rivers and resume pilgrimages to Tibet by Indian pilgrims in 2025, concerns remain over China's approval of a massive hydropower dam in Tibet, which could impact downstream water resources in India and Bangladesh.
The resumption of air links and journalistic exchanges is expected to facilitate better people-to-people connections, marking a positive shift in India-China relations.
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