(TibetanReview.net, Jan28’25) –The diplomatic tango between India and China towards the normalization of their bilateral ties appears to have made what is seen as a significant breakthrough following the series of meetings Chinese Foreign minister Wang Yi, foreign vice-minister Sun Weidong, and Minister of International Department of the Communist Party of China Liu Jianchao had with visiting Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Jan 27. The two sides have reached “in principle” agreements on several significant issues, including the resumption of direct flight services and the Mt Kailash-Lake Mansarovar pilgrimage.
The two sides reached common understandings on a set of six specific measures, reported China’s official Xinhua news agency Jan 28.
These include the resumption of direct flights between the Chinese mainland and India which had remained disrupted for nearly five years and the facilitation of the mutual dispatch of journalists between the two countries. The two countries will negotiate a framework on the flights in a meeting that will be held at an “early date”.
The two sides have also agreed to negotiate relevant arrangements as soon as possible to promote the resumption of pilgrimage by Indian pilgrims to the Kailash-Mansarovar sites in Tibet this year.
Besides, the two sides agreed to continue cooperation on cross-border rivers and to maintain communication on the early holding of a new round of meeting of the expert level mechanism on cross-border rivers.
In yet another important measure, the two countries have agreed to jointly commemorate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations this year, and carry out media and think tank exchanges, Track II talks and other people-to-people and cultural exchanges.
And the two sides have agreed to utilize bilateral and multilateral occasions to carry out active interactions at all levels, strengthen strategic communication, and enhance political mutual trust.
Besides, India has reportedly expressed willingness to fully support China’s work as the rotating chair of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) and to actively participate in various activities hosted by China under the framework of the SCO.
The Xinhua report emphasized that the Chinese side insisted that both countries should act in the fundamental interests of the two countries and two peoples, adhere to viewing and handling China-India relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, and adopt an open and constructive attitude to actively promote dialogue, exchanges and practical cooperation, guide public opinion and popular support toward the positive direction, enhance trust and remove suspicion, properly handle differences, and promote China-India relations to move forward along a sound and stable track.
The agreements marked a major diplomatic breakthrough after the disengagement process between India and China was completed last November, noted the indianexpress.com Jan 28.
Misri’s discussion in Beijing focused on implementing the consensus on the Ladakh border issue, strengthening bilateral dialogue, and enhancing political, economic, and people-to-people relations, noted business-standard.com Jan 27.