India and China review bilateral ties, move to expedite resumption of direct air services

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri met with H.E. Sun Weidong, Vice Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China, during the latter’s two-day official visit to India from June 12 to 13, 2025. The meeting served as a continuation of diplomatic efforts to stabilise and rebuild India-China relations. The two sides reviewed the developments in bilateral relations since their previous engagement in Beijing on January 27, 2025. Emphasising the importance of people-centric engagement, both parties reaffirmed their commitment to advancing constructive dialogue and cooperation. Foreign Secretary Misri expressed appreciation for the Chinese government’s cooperation in facilitating the resumption of the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra in 2025. He also highlighted discussions held in the April 2025 meeting of the Expert Level Mechanism on trans-border rivers, particularly on the resumption of hydrological data sharing and related cooperative efforts, expressing hope for further progress. Both sides agreed to expedite efforts to resume direct air connectivity between India and China. Foreign Secretary Misri underlined the importance of concluding an updated Air Services Agreement at the earliest. Additionally, both parties agreed to implement practical measures to ease visa processes and encourage exchanges between media organisations and think tanks. The delegations also took a positive view of the activities planned as part of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and China and agreed to support their successful execution. Further, both sides concurred on the need to hold functional dialogues, particularly in economic and trade sectors, to address and resolve specific bilateral issues.