India, China to Resume Direct Flights After 5 Years

India and China have agreed to resume direct passenger flights after nearly five years of disruption.

The flights, which were initially halted at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, did not resume due to ongoing tensions between Beijing and New Delhi.

On Monday, India's Ministry of External Affairs confirmed the agreement "in principle" to reinstate direct air services between the two countries.

The ministry further stated that technical authorities from both sides would soon meet to negotiate the updated framework for the resumption of flights.

Before the pandemic, about 500 direct flights operated monthly between India and China. However, relations soured following a deadly military confrontation along the disputed border in the Himalayas in 2020.

This led to India cutting off passenger flights to mainland China, banning numerous Chinese apps, and restricting Chinese investments.

Although flights between India and Hong Kong resumed after the public health crisis subsided, services to mainland China remained suspended.

Recent high-level meetings between the governments of both countries, which are members of the BRICS bloc, have facilitated the thawing of tensions, paving the way for the resumption of direct flights.

China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not explicitly comment on the flight agreement but affirmed that both nations have been working to improve bilateral ties since last year.

The ministry emphasized that the development of China-India relations aligns with the fundamental interests of both countries.