For the first time in nearly five years, direct flights between China and India are set to resume. The New York Times reports the development comes as relations between the two countries improve after hitting one of their lowest points in recent memory, triggered by a deadly faceoff along a disputed border high in the Himalayas in 2020 that saw at least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers killed. The flights—which numbered about 500 a month, reports AFP—were paused due to the COVID pandemic but did not resume once the lockdown gave way, turning a seven-hour flight into a journey roughly twice that long, reports CNN. The technical details around restarting the flights will be hashed out "at an early date," per India's foreign ministry.
The announcement came Monday as Indian foreign secretary Vikram Misri wrapped up his trip to Beijing, marking one of the highest-level visits between the two countries since the 2020 border clash. A statement from the Chinese foreign ministry said Foreign Minister Wang Yi had called for an end to "mutual suspicion, mutual alienation and mutual attrition." China will also reportedly allow pilgrimages to a Hindu shrine to Krishna in Tibet to resume. A point of context:
- From Reuters: "Analysts say sluggish economies and trade threats from US President Donald Trump are encouraging China and India to work more closely together. Trump has warned he will impose tariffs on China and India is a large market for China, while New Delhi wants Chinese expertise, components, and machinery to fuel exports and the economy, which is coming off recent highs."
(More
India stories.)