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India and China Reach Agreement to Accelerate Restoration of Direct Flights

India and China Reach Agreement to Accelerate Restoration of Direct Flights

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs stated in a release that "both sides have agreed to expedite steps to restore direct flights" and will "take practical measures to simplify visa procedures and promote exchanges between media and think tanks." On the previous day, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian commented in a press conference in Beijing that China holds a "positive attitude toward the resumption of direct flights between India and China" after a five-year hiatus, adding that restoring these flights is beneficial for personnel exchanges and cooperation, aligning with mutual interests.

New Delhi and Beijing announced a principled agreement to restart air routes between the two countries earlier this year in January. The flights were suspended due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and a deadly conflict between the two nations' militaries in the Himalayan border region in 2020. Prior to the pandemic, approximately 500 direct flights operated monthly between India and China according to Indian media reports. Currently, there are regular flights between India and Hong Kong.

According to AFP, India and China are fierce competitors vying for influence in the South Asian region. The 2020 border conflict resulted in the deaths of at least 20 Indian soldiers and 4 Chinese soldiers, after which India's relations with the U.S.-led Quad alliance became closer, aimed at countering China's growing influence in the Asia-Pacific region.

The New Delhi government has implemented strict measures against Chinese companies to curb their investments in critical economic sectors, banning hundreds of Chinese games and mobile applications, including TikTok. Distrust between India and China remains prevalent. In October of last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Modi met during the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, where both sides agreed to withdraw troops from confrontation points in the Ladakh region of the Himalayas. In late April of this year, a spokesperson from the Chinese Foreign Ministry announced that according to the consensus reached between the two sides, Indian pilgrims would resume pilgrimage trips to Tibet this summer.