New Delhi/Beijing: In a thawing of bilateral relations, India and China have decided to resume the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra that was halted since 2020. The decision was made at the meeting between Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi.
“The relevant mechanism will discuss the modalities for doing so as per existing agreements. They also agreed to hold an early meeting of the India-China Expert Level Mechanism to discuss resumption of provision of hydrological data and other cooperation pertaining to trans-border rivers,” a statement by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated.
Both sides also agreed in principle to resume direct flights. India and China also agreed to promote and facilitate people-to-people contacts, especially between media and think tanks.
“The two sides took stock of the extant mechanisms for functional exchanges. It was agreed to resume these dialogues step by step and to utilize them to address each other’s priority areas of interest and concern. Specific concerns in the economic and trade areas were discussed with a view to resolving these issues and promoting long-term policy transparency and predictability,” the MEA added.
With 2025 being the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and China, it was decided by both sides to "redouble" public diplomacy efforts to create better awareness about each other and restore mutual trust and confidence among the public.
Meanwhile, the Chinese side emphasized that positive interactions have been carried out at all levels and the process of improving China-India relations accelerated since the meeting between PM Modi and Xi Jinping in Kazan last year.
