India and China Agree to Resume Flights and Boost Trade Ties
India and China have agreed to restore direct flights, ease visas, and expand trade and investment flows as the two nations move to rebuild relations strained by the 2020 border clash. The agreement came after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s two-day visit to New Delhi for the 24th round of border talks with India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
Although no breakthrough was achieved on troop deployments and boundary management, both sides confirmed that talks would continue in China in 2026.
Flights, Trade, and Visas
Direct flights between India and China, suspended since the COVID-19 pandemic, will be restored, though no exact timeline was given. Both countries also pledged to ease visa restrictions and encourage greater trade and investment cooperation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed the development, posting on X that “stable, predictable, constructive ties between India and China will contribute significantly to regional as well as global peace and prosperity.” Modi is also scheduled to visit China at the end of August to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit — his first visit in more than seven years.
Border Talks and Tibet Dam Concerns
China’s Wang Yi emphasized that a “stable and healthy” relationship was in the fundamental interests of both countries. However, India raised strong concerns over China’s hydropower dam project on the Yarlung Zangbo river in Tibet, which becomes the Brahmaputra in India and Bangladesh.
Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar stressed the importance of “utmost transparency,” warning of risks to millions of people downstream. China has maintained that its projects will not harm the environment or reduce water flow, though India and Bangladesh remain cautious.
Economic Promises
During the talks, Wang assured Jaishankar that China was working to meet India’s key economic needs, including fertilisers, rare earths, and tunnel-boring machines.
The renewed engagement marks a cautious step toward normalizing relations as both countries balance cooperation with ongoing border challenges.
