India and China discuss resuming direct flights

The countries’ foreign ministers have reviewed steps to improve bilateral ties

The foreign ministers of India and China, S. Jaishankar and Wang Yi, have discussed resuming direct flights between the two countries, in a move expected to bolster trade, tourism, and cultural exchanges.

The development comes several weeks after New Delhi and Beijing agreed to resolve a four-year-long border dispute.

During their meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Brazil, the ministers noted that the disengagement along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Himalayan border area where troops clashed in 2020, leading to a long-standing diplomatic and military standoff, “had contributed to the maintenance of peace and tranquillity.”

Their discussions focused on the next steps in India-China relations, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement on Tuesday. Among the steps discussed were a resumption of the pilgrimage to Mansarovar Lake and Mount Kailash in Tibet, considered sacred places in the Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist religions; data sharing on trans-border rivers; media exchange; and resuming direct flights between India and China.

Direct flights between India and China, as well as the pilgrimage, were suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 and have not resumed since, despite the restrictions being lifted several years ago.

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Wang noted that the successful talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan last month and the “restart” of bilateral ties are in line with the “fundamental interests of the two peoples, the expectations of Global South countries, and the right direction of history,” according to Xinhua news agency.

The Chinese foreign minister stressed that both sides should implement the consensus reached by the national leaders, respect each other’s core interests, and enhance mutual trust through dialogue and communication.

The India-China truce was announced on the eve of the BRICS Summit, following over 30 rounds of talks at both military and diplomatic levels.

In Kazan, Modi and Xi held their first full-fledged bilateral meeting in nearly five years. Both leaders welcomed the agreement for a resolution of issues stemming from the 2020 border clash. 

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The Indian side then underscored the importance of “properly handling differences and disputes and not allowing them to disturb peace and tranquility.”

Xi stressed that the two sides should strengthen communication and cooperation, suggesting it was in the “fundamental interests” of the two nations to “correctly grasp the trend of history and the direction of development of their relations.”

At the G20 meeting, both sides emphasized their commitment to multipolarity and acknowledged the importance of India-China relations to the world, and particularly the Global South.Jaishankar noted that New Delhi is “strongly committed to a multipolar world, including a multipolar Asia.” 

“Where India is concerned, its foreign policy has been principled and consistent, marked by independent thought and action. We are against unilateral approaches to establish dominance. India does not view its relationships through the prism of other nations,” he said, according to the statement.

Wang asserted that China and India, as neighbors and major developing economies, have more common interests than differences, and should view each other’s development as an opportunity, and work together to achieve common development.