India and China to resume direct flights after five-year suspension
Photo: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping (Getty Images)
India and China are resuming direct flights after more than five years of suspended air service between the two countries. The move signals an improvement in bilateral relations amid economic uncertainty and Trump's policies, Bloomberg reports.
The announcement came from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The leaders met in Tianjin during Modi's first visit to China in seven years, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit.
Modi did not specify when the flights would resume. Still, the move reflects a broader diplomatic warming as US tariffs continue to strain the economies of the world's two most populous nations.
Earlier in August, following talks between their Foreign Ministers, China and India agreed to promote bilateral trade and investment. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi described his meeting with Modi as productive and said progress in India-China relations is "guided by respect for each other's interests."
Bloomberg notes that these developments follow Trump's imposition of 50% tariffs on Indian goods. The tariffs targeted New Delhi for its purchases of Russian oil, while a trade truce between China and the US remains in effect.
On August 31, Modi met with Xi in Tianjin. During the meeting, Xi said that friendship with India is the "right choice" for both nations.
It is believed that US tariff policies pushed China and India closer together. Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong said Beijing would "firmly stand with India" against American tariffs. The New York Times also indicates that Modi and Trump had serious disagreements.
This year, Trump imposed tariffs on both China and India. India's tariffs were tied to its purchases of Russian energy resources, which support Moscow's war against Ukraine.
