India-China direct flights to resume after five-year hiatus

India and China have agreed to resume direct flights between the two nations after nearly five years of suspension due to the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent political tensions.

The announcement came at the conclusion of a visit to Beijing by New Delhi's top career diplomat and heralds the latest signs of a thaw in the frosty ties between the world's two most populous nations.

Indian foreign ministry secretary Vikram Misri's trip to the Chinese capital marked one of the most senior official visits since a deadly Himalayan troop clash on their shared border in 2020 sent relations into a tailspin.

A statement from India's foreign ministry said a visit by a top envoy to Beijing had yielded agreement "in principle to resume direct air services between the two countries".

"The relevant technical authorities on the two sides will meet and negotiate an updated framework for this purpose at an early date," it said.

India's statement also said both sides had agreed to work harder on diplomacy to "restore mutual trust and confidence" and to resolve outstanding trade and economic issues.

The development came after New Delhi and Beijing, in October last year, reached a deal to resolve a four-year military stand-off that had damaged the relationship between the Asian giants.

Relations between the world's two nations — both nuclear powers — have been strained since clashes between their troops on the frontier in the western Himalayas left 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers dead in 2020.

India severed direct air links with China, banned hundreds of Chinese mobile applications, and added layers of vetting on Chinese investments, saying the relationship could not be normal if there was no peace on the frontier.

Days after the two sides reached a deal to end the border conflict, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held their first formal talks in five years and agreed to resolve their differences and boost ties.

Indian officials have said that New Delhi was expected to be cautious and only take baby steps towards boosting economic ties, given the trust deficit of the last four years. Resuming direct flights and fast-tracking visa approvals are expected to be among the first steps, they said.