India and China Agree on Direct Flight Resumption After Five-Year Break

Tuesday 28 January 2025 - 11:33

India and China have reached a "preliminary agreement" to resume direct flights between the two nations, a service that has been suspended for nearly five years. The announcement came on Monday evening from India's Ministry of External Affairs.

This decision was made following talks between Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong and Indian Secretary of External Affairs Vikram Misri, who visited Beijing on January 26 and 27, as stated in an Indian government release.

The two sides agreed that the relevant technical authorities from both countries will soon meet to discuss an updated framework for restarting the flights.

During their meeting, which also reviewed the status of bilateral relations, the two nations agreed to take further "people-centered" measures aimed at "stabilizing and rebuilding their ties."

They reviewed existing mechanisms for functional exchanges and decided to gradually resume these dialogues to address mutual priorities and concerns.

Specific issues related to economic and commercial matters were also discussed, with a focus on resolving disputes and promoting transparency and long-term policy predictability.

As the two countries mark the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic relations in 2025, they agreed to use this milestone to intensify public diplomacy efforts to "better understand each other and restore mutual trust."

Misri's visit marks the most significant trip to China by a senior Indian diplomat since the bilateral relationship soured following a border clash in 2020, which resulted in the deaths of at least 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese soldiers.

The bilateral relationship has seen notable improvement over the past four months, highlighted by the meeting in October between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia.