China has expressed readiness to assess its relationship with India in a strategic and long-term manner, highlighting the resumption of direct flights between the two nations as a positive step to enhance people-to-people interactions. The first commercial flights between India and China are set to commence this Sunday after a five-year hiatus. India had previously announced the resumption of direct air connectivity starting from October 26.
IndiGo has confirmed the restart of flights from Kolkata to Guangzhou on October 26, and from Delhi to Guangzhou on November 10, 2025. Additionally, China Eastern Airlines will resume its Shanghai–Delhi route from November 9. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun, during a media briefing in Beijing, mentioned that the reopening of air links signifies progress in implementing the agreements between the two countries.
Guo emphasized that the reestablishment of air connections is a beneficial step to facilitate friendly exchanges between the vast populations of China and India. He stated that Beijing is prepared to collaborate with New Delhi to promote the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations, aiming to contribute to peace and prosperity in Asia and beyond.
The flight suspension was initially due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, with border tensions in eastern Ladakh further delaying the restoration until a disengagement agreement was reached last October. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during a meeting with President Xi Jinping in Tianjin on August 31, indicated the consideration of resuming direct flights. The India-China relationship had faced significant challenges following the deadly Galwan Valley clashes in June 2020, but subsequent diplomatic and military dialogues have led to troop withdrawals from key friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
In October of the previous year, both nations reached a disengagement agreement for Depsang and Demchok, marking the final unresolved points along the frontier. This was followed by a meeting between Modi and Xi in Kazan, where they agreed on further measures to normalize ties.
(With inputs from PTI)