BEIJING: India has resumed issuing tourist visas to Chinese nationals after a five-year suspension, signalling a thaw in bilateral relations that were severely strained following border clashes in 2020.
The Indian embassy in Beijing announced the decision on July 23 via a post on the Chinese social media platform Weibo, according to Global Times, a state-run Chinese newspaper.
The embassy stated that Chinese citizens could apply for tourist visas at Indian missions in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou from July 24 onwards.
The development comes ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Defence Summit, set to be held in China in August.
China welcomed India’s decision. At a press briefing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun described the move as a “positive step” and said Beijing was willing to work with New Delhi to enhance “people-to-people exchanges” and normalise bilateral ties.
India suspended visas for Chinese nationals, restricted Chinese investments, and banned dozens of Chinese apps after a clash between Indian and Chinese troops in Galwan Valley in June 2020.
The confrontation resulted in the deaths of at least 20 Indian soldiers and escalated tensions between the two neighbours.
Both countries had earlier suspended direct flights and visa services during the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, services remained halted even after pandemic restrictions eased, due to heightened political tensions.
Signs of a gradual improvement in ties began emerging in 2022, when China resumed issuing visas to Indian citizens.
Diplomatic engagement has since increased, including a high-level meeting between Prime Minister Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Russia last year, where both leaders agreed to improve communication and resolve outstanding issues.
In June this year, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met China’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Sun Weidong in New Delhi.
The two officials discussed the resumption of direct flights, cooperation on transboundary river data sharing, and enhancing “people-centric engagements”.
According to official figures, China issued around 85,000 visas to Indian nationals between January and April this year, reflecting increased travel and interaction, The Phoenix newspaper reported.
