Direct flights, journalist exchanges: Are China-India ties seeing a reset?

China and India announced late on Monday that they have agreed to resume direct flights after a five-year hiatus and to reinstate journalist exchanges, which had been suspended since mid-2023, marking a diplomatic breakthrough between the estranged Asian neighbours.

The two sides also agreed to continue cross-border river cooperation amid India’s concern over China's approval of a hydropower dam in the lower reaches of Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet.

The announcement comes following Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s January 26-27 visit to Beijing, where he held talks with top Chinese officials, including Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong, and Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

Analysts view the discussions as a significant step toward normalising ties between the two populous neighbours, following years of heightened tensions that escalated after a deadly military clash along their Himalayan border in the summer of 2020.

Notably, the clash occurred during Misri’s previous term as India’s ambassador to Beijing, from January 2019 to December 2021.

“Foreign Secretary Misri’s visit marks an important step forward towards building stable bilateral relations in a structured manner between China and India,” Mike Liu, vice president of the Center for China and Globalization (CCG), a Beijing-based think tank, tells TRT World.

“His prior experience as India’s ambassador to China ensures strong connections with key stakeholders in Beijing, which is crucial in fostering a welcoming atmosphere for future engagements,” Liu observes.

Misri’s discussions in Beijing marked a continued effort to stabilise bilateral relations following the meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in the Russian city of Kazan, on the sidelines of the BRICS summit, in October last year and came shortly after Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval’s trip to China in December 2024.

“Misri’s visit is a continuation of hectic senior-level meetings following the Kazan summit,” Swaran Singh, Professor of International Relations at Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi, tells TRT World, highlighting the significance of sustained dialogue.

“This momentum reflects a mutual commitment to resolving key issues, with India prioritising border-related matters while China emphasising economic and people-to-people ties,” Singh explains.

Meanwhile, Liu also underscores the significance of the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi holding talks with Misri in Beijing, describing it as “very positive for bilateral relations.”

Following the meeting, Wang stated India and China “should refrain from mutual suspicion, mutual estrangement, and mutual exhaustion,” according to a Chinese foreign ministry readout, translated from Mandarin by Chinese state-backed media outlet CGTN.

“This bold and clear expression by both sides of their fundamental problem marks an important step in recognising their challenges,” contends Singh. “This should also help them to take measures in addressing these through a new set of confidence-building measures given that this approach has worked well in past decades,” he adds.

Tangible outcomes

One of the most tangible outcomes of Misri’s meeting with Weidong, under the "Foreign Minister-Vice Foreign Minister mechanism", was the in-principle agreement to resume direct flights between the two nations.

“The two sides agreed to resume direct flights between the Chinese mainland and India … and take measures to facilitate personnel exchanges and mutual dispatch of journalists between the two countries,” the Chinese Foreign Ministry stated.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs echoed this, stating, “The two sides agreed to take appropriate measures to further promote and facilitate people-to-people exchanges, including media and think-tank interactions. They also agreed in principle to resume direct air services between the two countries.”

Air connectivity between China and India was suspended in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was further delayed amid strained diplomatic relations.

Liu underscores the broader implications of this development, stating, “The resumption of direct flights will enable more people-to-people exchanges, fostering better mutual understanding between the two nations. This will bring substantial changes to the current state of circumstances.”

Singh echoes this sentiment but cautions that while the decision is promising, the actual implementation of these measures may take some time.

“Both sides have made significant progress, but translating these broad understandings into concrete actions will require further negotiations and procedural adjustments,” he notes.

Equally important was the agreement to reinstate journalist exchanges. Press accreditations for journalists from both nations had been suspended since 2023 amid deteriorating diplomatic ties.

The decision to restore journalist exchanges is expected to enhance media engagement, improve transparency, and contribute to better public perception on both sides, according to analysts in both countries.

Beyond these immediate measures, the discussions also delved into broader strategic issues, including cooperation in multilateral forums and evolving geopolitical dynamics.

Singh points out that while India remains focused on resolving border disputes, China has advocated for a holistic approach that does not allow a single issue to dictate the entire relationship.

“China has consistently emphasised the need to balance economic and strategic cooperation with dispute resolution. Meanwhile, India’s priorities include de-escalation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra in Tibet (considered a holy pilgrimage by Hindus and Buddhists), and the restoration of hydrological data sharing on trans-border rivers,” Singh elaborates.

A dam of concern

Following the Xi-Modi meeting in Kazan and just as bilateral relations began stabilising, China's approval of a hydropower dam in Tibet on the Yarlung Tsangpo river in recent weeks has raised concerns in India.

The Yarlung Tsangpo flows into India as the Brahmaputra, which then enters Bangladesh as the Jamuna before merging with the Padma and emptying into the Bay of Bengal.

While Chinese officials assured that the project would not significantly impact the environment or downstream water supplies, both India and Bangladesh have expressed worries.

India has called for transparency and consultation from China, emphasising the importance of protecting the interests of downstream states.

This issue was also discussed during Misri’s talks with Chinese officials, with Beijing attempting to reassure New Delhi.

"The two sides agreed to continue cooperation on cross-border rivers and to maintain communication on the early holding of a new round of meeting of the expert level mechanism on cross-border rivers," the Chinese Foreign Ministry stated in its official statement.

“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,” stated the official statement from India’s Foreign Ministry.

The Trump factor

The latest round of China-India diplomatic engagement coincided with US President Donald Trump's first phone call to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, since beginning his second term in office.

The White House issued a statement describing the talks between the leaders of the world’s two largest democracies as "productive," noting that they "discussed expanding and deepening cooperation" across a variety of areas, including regional security in the Indo-Pacific, the Middle East, and Europe.

"The President emphasised the importance of India increasing its procurement of American-made security equipment and moving toward a fair bilateral trading relationship,” the White House statement said.

Regarding the changing global landscape, particularly with Donald Trump’s return to the White House, Liu notes that both China and India would be keen on exchanging perspectives on shifting US policies.

“I don’t expect all hurdles between China and India to disappear instantly, but both sides seek stable relations through continuous dialogue. The return of Trump marks a shift in global politics, and both China and India would want to navigate these changes cautiously,” Liu remarks.

Singh adds that Trump’s second term could reduce the US’s global engagements, creating space for emerging economies like India and China to play a greater role in global governance.

“With the US likely focusing more on domestic priorities, China and India could find more opportunities for cooperation in international forums,” he suggests.