India\u2019s prime minister and China\u2019s foreign minister have hailed \u201csteady\u201d progress in their countries\u2019 fractious relationship, agreeing to resume trade and other ties, as well as work towards resolving the long-running Himalayan border dispute, amid a global geopolitical shake-up instigated by Donald Trump\u2019s tariff regime.<\/p>\n
According to statements from China\u2019s foreign ministry, the two sides agreed to resume direct flights \u2013 reiterating a pledge made in January<\/a> \u2013 as well as issuing visas to journalists and facilitating business and cultural exchanges.<\/p>\n On social media, India\u2019s prime minister, Narendra Modi, noted \u201crespect for each other\u2019s interests and sensitiveness\u201d, while China\u2019s foreign ministry said the countries had entered a \u201csteady development track\u201d and should \u201ctrust and support\u201d each other.<\/p>\n The visit by Wang Yi, China\u2019s top diplomat, to Delhi came ahead of an expected visit to Beijing by Modi to meet with China\u2019s leader, Xi Jinping, in October. It will be Modi\u2019s first trip to China since 2018.<\/p>\n Relations between the two nuclear powers plummeted in 2020 when a border dispute in the remote Himalayas turned deadly. Their soldiers engaged in hand-to-hand combat<\/a> as the worst episode of violence between the neighbours in decades left an official death toll of 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers.<\/p>\n Since then, the two sides have held a series of talks to de-escalate the situation. Modi and Xi last October in Russia had their first meeting in five years. Both sides have continued to fortify borders, but have agreed to a pact on border patrols, and withdrawn additional forces.<\/p>\n India\u2019s foreign ministry on Wednesday said Wang and the Indian national security adviser Ajit Doval discussed \u201cde-escalation, delimitation and boundary affairs\u201d.<\/p>\n Chinese state media phrased the discussion as agreeing to \u201cexplore the possibility of advancing boundary demarcation negotiations\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThe setbacks we experienced in the past few years were not in the interest of the people of our two countries. We are heartened to see the stability that is now restored in the borders,\u201d Wang said on Monday.<\/p>\n India said its foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar raised concerns about China\u2019s plans to build a giant dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo river in Tibetan territory \u2013 set to be the world\u2019s biggest hydropower project<\/a> \u2013 which Delhi fears will impact downstream communities and areas.<\/p>\n