China and India have reached an agreement to reinstate direct commercial flights for the first time in five years, marking a significant development in the improving relations between the two most populous nations in the world.
The suspension of flights between India and mainland China began with the onset of the Covid pandemic in early 2020 and continued due to ongoing political tensions thereafter.
This announcement was made on Monday during a meeting in Beijing between India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
According to a statement from India’s Ministry of External Affairs, both nations have achieved a consensus “in principle to resume direct air services,” with officials anticipated to finalize the details “in the near future.”
In a confirmation of this progress, China’s Foreign Ministry also announced the reopening of Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar in western Tibet for Indian pilgrims this year.
These locations hold sacred significance in Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism, and Bon, making them popular pilgrimage destinations.
Following the suspension of flights due to the pandemic, a violent confrontation occurred between soldiers from both countries at their disputed border in the Himalayas, resulting in the deaths of at least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers.
Both nations maintain a substantial military presence along the 2,100-mile (3,379-kilometer) de facto border, known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC), which has never been clearly delineated and has been a source of ongoing tension since the war between the two countries in 1962.
The clash in June 2020 led to a series of disengagement efforts and border discussions, including an agreement on military patrolling. However, tensions persist in other areas.
In recent months, both countries have made efforts to reduce tensions, particularly following a rare meeting between Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the BRICS summit in Russia last October.
Currently, there are direct passenger flights operating between several cities in India.