After the resumption of bilateral visits, India and China Monday took significant “people-centric” measures to normalise ties as they agreed to resume the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage in 2025 and also consented, in principle, to restart direct flights between the 2 countries. While India wanted the pilgrimage, which has remained suspended since 2020, to resume, resumption of air services had been a longstanding Chinese demand.
The announcement by India followed foreign secretary Vikram Misri’s visit to Beijing during which he also called on foreign minister Wang Yi, kick-starting what promises to be a series of substantive bilateral engagements that could culminate potentially in a visit to China by PM Narendra Modi for the SCO summit.
The 2 sides agreed to resume existing dialogue mechanisms step-by-step, addressing each other’s concerns and priorities. Specific concerns in economic ties like the trade deficit were discussed with a view to resolving these issues and promoting “long-term policy transparency and predictability”.
The 2 countries also agreed to hold an early meeting of the India-China Expert Level Mechanism to discuss resumption of provision of hydrological data and other cooperation pertaining to trans-border rivers, said the Indian readout. This follows concerns expressed in India about the possible impact of a mega Chinese hydropower project in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo river on the flow of water to lower riparian states.
“The two sides recognize that 2025, being the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and China, should be utilized to redouble public diplomacy efforts to create better awareness about each other and restore mutual trust and confidence among the public,’’ said the Indian government in an official statement on Misri’s visit, adding the the 2 sides will conduct a number of commemorative activities to mark this anniversary. There was no mention of the border issue in the Indian statement on the outcomes of the visit, which followed NSA Ajit Doval’s visit to Beijing last month for border talks.
In the meeting with Wang, while Misri committed India’s full support for China’s SCO rotating presidency, Wang called for more substantive measures to promote mutual trust and understanding. China will host the summit of the Eurasian group later this year.
“The two countries should refrain from mutual suspicion, mutual estrangement, and mutual exhaustion,’’ said Wang, according to an English translation by CGTN of a Chinese readout.
According to Indian authorities, India and China also agreed to take “appropriate measures” to further promote and facilitate people-to-people exchanges, including media and think-tank interactions. “They agreed in principle to resume direct air services between the two countries; the relevant technical authorities on the two sides will meet and negotiate an updated framework for this purpose at an early date,’’ said the Indian government.
Wang said the recent improvement in China-India relations fully aligned with the fundamental interests of both countries and their peoples and was conducive to safeguarding the “legitimate rights and interests of the Global South countries”.
It also helps to contribute to peace, stability, and prosperity in Asia and the world, he added.
According to the Chinese readout, Misri said the 2 countries have engaged in a series of beneficial dialogues and communications, properly managed and resolved differences, and promoted the resumption of practical cooperation in various fields.
The Indian government said that as agreed between PM Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping at their meeting in Kazan in October, the 2 sides reviewed the state of India-China bilateral relations comprehensively during Misri’s visit and agreed to take certain people-centric steps to stabilize and rebuild ties. The meeting in Kazan, on the margins of the BRICS summit, followed the October 21 understanding last year that led to the completion of the disengagement process in eastern Ladakh, bringing to an end the 2020 military standoff.