China, India agree to resume direct flights and deepen river cooperation amid dam tension

China and India have agreed to resume direct flights and deepen cross-border river cooperation following high-level talks on Monday, even as tensions between the two Asian countries simmer over Beijing’s plans for a mega dam on the Tibetan Plateau.

According to China’s foreign ministry, foreign vice-minister Sun Weidong held talks with India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri under a foreign secretary-vice minister mechanism, with the two sides pledging to strengthen strategic communication and deepen mutual trust.

Among other things, Beijing’s statement released early on Tuesday said the countries agreed to resume direct flights between China and India, and “take measures to facilitate personnel exchanges and the exchange of journalists between the two countries”.

China and India would also negotiate arrangements for Indian pilgrimages to Tibet to resume “as soon as possible”, and hold a new round of meetings on cross-border river cooperation.

“China stressed that the two sides should … adhere to viewing and handling China-India relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, actively promote dialogue, exchanges and practical cooperation with a frank and constructive attitude … properly handle differences and push China-India relations forward along a healthy and stable track,” the statement said.

The agreement between the neighbouring countries came amid a thaw in relations that had soured following a 2020 clash in the Galwan area along their unsettled Himalayan border that left at least four Chinese and 20 Indian soldiers dead.

Following the clash, India applied stringent measures to Chinese investments into the country, banned popular Chinese apps and terminated passenger flight routes.

But relations appear to have warmed since October when Beijing and New Delhi agreed on troop disengagement along their disputed border, with both sides moving most of their frontline troops away from the border.

  

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