In a series of diplomatic advances, China and India said Wednesday they would resume direct flights, according to state media, as Beijing’s foreign minister concluded a visit before traveling to Pakistan.
Beijing and New Delhi also decided to resume issuing tourist visas, increase trade between the neighboring nations, and move forward with negotiations on their disputed border after Wang Yi’s visit to India.
According to a Xinhua report Wednesday, the two sides committed to reopening three border trade markets and agreed to “explore the possibility of advancing boundary demarcation negotiations” after discussions on the border problem with Indian national security adviser Ajit Doval.
Relations between the world’s two most populous countries soured after a deadly border clash in 2020.
But a thaw began last October when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping for the first time in five years at a summit in Russia.
Modi will travel to China later in August — his first visit since 2018.
Wang is now due in Pakistan, India’s arch-rival and one of China’s closest partners in the region.
“Both India and Pakistan are China’s important neighbours. We are willing to enhance friendly cooperation with both countries, and hope that differences between these two countries can be handled properly”, foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a regular press conference Tuesday.
“Ironclad friends and all-weather strategic partners” is how she defined China and Pakistan.
As part of Beijing’s transnational Belt and Road initiative, China has invested tens of billions of dollars in Pakistan to finance enormous energy, infrastructure, and transportation projects.
In a four-day fight in May that claimed over 70 lives, Islamabad utilized Chinese-made military equipment, including planes, against India.
The crisis began when gunmen in Indian-administered Kashmir attacked tourists, an accusation that New Delhi denies Islamabad supported.
Kashmir is claimed in full by both India and Pakistan, which have fought several wars over the Muslim-majority region since their 1947 independence from British rule.
Wang said that China supported Islamabad in defending “national sovereignty and territorial integrity”, in talks with Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar in May, days after Islamabad and New Delhi agreed a ceasefire.
Wang is due in Pakistan until Friday and will meet with Dar for the sixth round of China-Pakistan Foreign Ministers’ Strategic Dialogue, China’s foreign ministry said Tuesday.
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