India and China Resume Flights

India and China Resume Flights, Trade, and Border Talks

Rebuilding Ties After Border Clash

India and China announced plans to resume direct flights and expand trade and investment cooperation as they work to mend relations damaged by the 2020 border clash. Flights, suspended since the COVID-19 pandemic, will be restored at a later date. Border trade will also reopen at three designated points, with easier visa processes promised.

High-Level Diplomatic Engagements

The agreements followed a two-day visit to New Delhi by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi for the 24th round of border talks with India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval. Discussions focused on troop disengagement, border delimitation, and establishing a working group for ongoing negotiations.

Beijing confirmed that future talks will cover the eastern and middle sections of the border, while western sector talks will take place soon. Both sides agreed to meet again in China in 2026.

Leaders Signal Cooperation

Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasized the global importance of stable India-China relations, calling them vital for peace and prosperity. Modi is set to visit China later this month for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit—his first trip there in more than seven years.

Tibet Dam Concerns

During talks, India raised strong concerns over China’s construction of a mega dam on the Yarlung Zangbo river in Tibet, which flows into India and Bangladesh as the Brahmaputra. New Delhi highlighted potential risks for downstream states and called for transparency.

China agreed to share emergency hydrological data with India and engage experts on cross-border river issues. Both sides will renew flood-reporting mechanisms.

Economic and Resource Discussions

Wang Yi assured India that Beijing is addressing Indian concerns in three areas:

• Fertiliser supply
• Rare earths
• Tunnel-boring machinery

“India and China Resume Flights” “India and China Resume Flights”