India and China to Resume Direct Flights Frozen for Five Years
The Indian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Thursday, October 2, that India and China will restart direct flights between designated cities this month, ending more than five years of suspension. This move marks a cautious easing of bilateral tensions.
Reuters reported that despite China being India's largest trading partner, there have been no direct flights between India and China since 2020.
India's largest airline, IndiGo (INGL.NS), said it will launch daily direct flights between Kolkata and Guangzhou on October 26. The company also plans to open a route connecting New Delhi with Chinese cities.
A month ago, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his first visit to China in seven years, attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Regional Security Group meeting in Tianjin.
Modi and Chinese leaders agreed that India and China are development partners, not competitors, and discussed ways to strengthen trade relations against the backdrop of global tariff uncertainties.
Modi also expressed India's commitment to improving relations with China and expressed concern over the growing trade deficit between the two countries, which has now reached nearly $99.2 billion. He also emphasized the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the disputed border areas, where a military standoff lasting five years was triggered by conflicts in 2020.
Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1844912045650956/
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