Taking an important step forward, China and India officially resume direct flights after a five-year hiatus

Global Times reporter Li Meng reported that India and China resumed direct flights on the same day, with the first flight operated by India's largest airline, IndiGo Airlines, flying from Kolkata to Guangzhou at 10 pm Indian Standard Time. The report states that this marks an important step towards rebuilding relations between the two most populous countries in Asia after a five-year gap. Previously, there were regular flights between India and Hong Kong, China, and flights from the Indian capital New Delhi to Shanghai and Guangzhou will also be launched in November.

Agence France Presse said that during the COVID-19 epidemic, direct flights between India and China were suspended, and about 500 flights were grounded every month. Kolkata has a history of several hundred years with China, and the fusion of Chinese and Indian cuisine remains an important part of Kolkata's cuisine to this day. Local residents and business leaders welcome the resumption of direct flights, believing that it will revive the tourism industry, promote trade, and facilitate family reunions. The chairman of Kolkata Chamber of Commerce, Rajiv Singh, stated that direct flights will reduce logistics and transit time, benefiting businesses.

On the 26th, a spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in India posted on social media that "the resumption of direct flights between China and India has become a reality." The Hindustan Times stated that this is an important milestone for the two countries in restoring normal travel contacts. The Indian government stated that the resumption of flights will promote "personnel exchanges" and help "gradually normalize bilateral exchanges".

Regarding the resumption of direct flights between China and India, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs recently stated that China is willing to work together with India to view and handle China India relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, promote the sustained, healthy and stable development of bilateral relations, better benefit both countries and their peoples, and make due contributions to maintaining peace and prosperity in Asia and even the world.      

As China and India resume direct flights, the relationship between the two countries that has been damaged by the border standoff is gradually easing. Indian media reported that during the Lantern Festival this month, soldiers from both sides exchanged candies along the border, which was a "display of goodwill". The trade between the two countries has also recovered. According to data from the Indian Ministry of Commerce, India's imports from China surged to over 11 billion US dollars last month, a year-on-year increase of over 16%. India's exports to China amounted to 1.47 billion US dollars, a year-on-year increase of approximately 34%. The Indian government previously announced that it will resume issuing tourist visas to Chinese citizens starting from July 24th. This is the first time India has resumed issuing tourist visas to Chinese citizens since 2020. However, compared to five years ago, the current tourist visa application process is more complex: the required deposit proof amount has increased from 10000 yuan to 100000 yuan, and the previously self-service electronic visa channel has not yet been restored.