India China to restart direct flights, talks to resolve trade issues; Wang Yi to visit India

Time of India

a day ago

With the US and China keen on formally inking a deal to end the trade war between the 2 countries, India is stepping up efforts to mend relations with Beijing. In talks between foreign secretary Vikram Misri and visiting Chinese vice foreign minister Sun Weidong, India and China agreed to expedite measures to resume direct air services and to hold 'certain functional dialogues' to resolve specific issues of concern in, among other things, trade and economy
Misri hosted Sun this week for a rare high-level bilateral visit from China, as first reported by TOI on Wednesday, and their second meeting this year, following the engagement in Beijing in January during which both sides had announced several measures to normalise the relationship.
On this occasion, they agreed to continue to stabilize and rebuild ties with focus on people-centric engagements.
According to Beijing, India reaffirmed its support for the ongoing Chinese presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and the 2 sides also agreed to prepare for the 24th Meeting of the Special Representatives' (SR) on the India-China Boundary Question in India. The SR talks resumed in December last year after a gap of 5 years, with NSA Ajit Doval travelling to China.
It was then announced that his counterpart Wang Yi would travel to India in 2025 for another round of talks.
Beijing remains keen that PM Narendra Modi visit China this year for the SCO summit in Tianjin that will also see Russian President Vladimir Putin and Pakistan PM Shehbaz Sharif in attendance. India has not confirmed Modi's participation and yet and will probably wait to see the outcomes of the SR meeting, which could take place as early as next month, and the SCO foreign ministers' meeting – ahead of the summit - that may have external affairs minister S Jaishankar participating.
India did not mention SCO in its readout. Sun also called on Doval during his visit.
'The two sides agreed to expedite steps involved in resuming direct air services between the two countries. Foreign Secretary hoped for the early conclusion of an updated Air Services Agreement,'' said an Indian readout, adding that they further agreed to take practical steps for visa facilitation and exchanges between media and think-tanks.
Misri appreciated China's support for resumption of Kailash Mansarovar Yatra this month and expressed hope for progress on trans-border river cooperation, including hydrological data sharing. India had earlier raised concerns about China's construction of apparently the world's largest hydropower dam on the Brahmaputra River, known as Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet.
India wants to resolve trade and economic issues, including China's export controls on rare earth-related items, in a way that can promote long-term policy transparency and predictability.
On the rare earth issues, the Indian government had said this week that it's in touch with Beijing to bring predictability in supply chain for trade, consistent with international practices.
According to the Indian readout, the 2 two sides 'positively assessed the activities planned under the 75th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations between India and China and agreed to facilitate the same'.
The Chinese readout of the Misri-Sun talks said that both sides pushed for resumption of direct flights, people-to-people exchanges and resumption of bilateral dialogue mechanisms steadily.
According to Beijing, Sun said that both sides should follow the important understandings reached by Modi and President Xi Jinping during their meeting in Kazan last year, following the agreement to end the military standoff in eastern Ladakh. He also called for increasing mutual trust, properly handling differences and playing a constructive role in maintaining international peace and stability.