India and China have decided to resume the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, which has been on hold since 2020. This significant decision was announced following a meeting between India’s Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
A statement from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) highlighted that the relevant mechanisms would work out the details for resuming the pilgrimage in line with existing agreements. Additionally, both sides agreed to hold an early meeting of the India-China Expert Level Mechanism to discuss the resumption of hydrological data sharing and cooperation on trans-border rivers.
In a further step toward strengthening bilateral ties, India and China have agreed in principle to reinstate direct flights between the two countries. The nations also emphasised enhancing people-to-people exchanges, particularly between media and think tanks. “The two sides reviewed the existing frameworks for functional exchanges and agreed to gradually resume these dialogues to address mutual priorities and concerns,” the MEA noted. Discussions also included resolving specific economic and trade issues to promote long-term transparency and predictability in policies.
Foreign Secretary’s Visit to China
Vikram Misri is currently on a two-day visit to Beijing as part of the Foreign Secretary-Vice Minister mechanism between India and China. The resumption of this bilateral mechanism aligns with leadership-level agreements to advance discussions on political, economic, and people-to-people relations.
India has consistently maintained that normalising ties with China is contingent on peace in the border areas. Following the successful disengagement process in Demchok and Depsang, military patrolling has resumed in these areas after nearly four and a half years, marking a positive step forward in relations between the two nations.