India and China have reached an agreement to resume direct air services after nearly five years, marking a significant step in the improvement of relations between the two countries. This decision, announced by India's foreign ministry on Monday, January 27, comes on the heels of several high-level diplomatic engagements. Notably, discussions between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Russia last October have contributed to the thaw in relations. As conditions improve, India and China are set to negotiate a framework for direct flights, with a meeting scheduled at an early date.
Over the past four months, relations between India and China have shown signs of improvement. China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri in Beijing to discuss fostering mutual understanding and cooperation. Wang Yi emphasized that both nations should work together and explore substantive measures to enhance their bilateral relationship. The sentiment was echoed by India's foreign ministry, which urged both sides to commit to "mutual support and mutual achievement" rather than harboring "suspicion" and "alienation."
The resumption of direct flights had been a subject of discussion since June when China's government and airlines initially approached India's civil aviation authorities. However, New Delhi had resisted these overtures due to ongoing border tensions. A deadly military clash on the disputed Himalayan border in 2020 had severely strained bilateral ties, leading India to impose restrictions on Chinese companies and apps and halt passenger routes. Despite these tensions, direct cargo flights continued to operate.
The recent diplomatic exchanges have paved the way for renewed dialogue and functional exchanges between the two nations. India's top diplomat and his Chinese counterpart agreed on steps to resume such exchanges gradually, with an early meeting of the India-China Expert Level Mechanism to be convened.
In a statement, India's foreign ministry highlighted the discussions around economic and trade concerns, stressing the importance of resolving issues and promoting policy transparency.
"Specific concerns in the economic and trade areas were discussed with a view to resolving these issues and promoting long-term policy transparency and predictability," – Indian foreign ministry statement
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