India, China Direct Flights Soon? S Jaishankar Meets Chinese Foreign Minister

In a big step forward in India-China ties, the two countries have discussed resuming direct flights between the countries as well restarting the Kailash Mansarovar yatra. The Chinese foreign ministry has also said that the India-China relationship is at a "new starting point". 

The two key issues were discussed when External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro, on the sidelines of the G20 Summit on Monday.

The meeting was the first high-level engagement between the two countries since the completion of the disengagement process in the two contentious areas of Depsang and Demchok in eastern Ladakh and the ministers noted that this had contributed to the maintenance of peace and tranquility.

Direct flights between India and China were suspended because of the Covid pandemic in 2020 and have not resumed since then despite the restrictions being lifted. The stand-off in Ladakh began in May that year and a clash took place in Ladakh's Galwan the next month in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed in action and the Chinese side also suffered losses, with the exact number remaining unconfirmed. A troop buildup followed on both sides and military-level talks began taking place to resolve the stand-off.

The Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage to Mount Kailash, believed to be the abode of Lord Shiva, in China was also suspended during the pandemic in 2020 and is yet to resume.

In a note, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the resumption of the flights and the pilgrimage as well as data sharing on trans-border rivers and media exchanges were discussed by Mr Jaishankar and Mr Yi. 

'Differences And Convergences'

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had met Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Russia last month, after the disengagement in the two points was announced. The MEA said that, during the meeting, Mr Jaishankar noted that India and China have both "differences and convergences" and have worked constructively in the BRICS and the SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation) framework while cooperating in G20 as well.

Asserting that India has had a consistent foreign policy, Mr Jaishankar said, "We are strongly committed to a multipolar world, including a multipolar Asia. Where India is concerned, its foreign policy has been principled and consistent, marked by independent thought and action. We are against unilateral approaches to establish dominance. India does not view its relationships through the prism of other nations."

The ministry said Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi agreed that India-China relations are very important for the world. Noting that PM Modi and President Jinping had discussed the way forward, the ministers felt the focus should be on stabilising ties, managing differences and taking the next steps, it said. 

'Trust Through Dialogue'

Asked about the meeting, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said China-India relations are at "a new starting point". 

"As Foreign Minister Wang Yi noted, President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a successful meeting in Kazan not long ago. China-India relations are now at a new starting point. This serves the fundamental interests of the peoples of the two countries, meets the expectations of Global South countries and is in line with the trend of history," Mr Jian said. 

"The two sides need to deliver on the important common understandings of the leaders, respect each other's core interests and major concerns, cement mutual trust through dialogue and communication, properly settle differences with sincerity and good faith, and bring the bilateral relations back to the track of stable and healthy development as soon as possible.