5 years on, India resumes tourist visas to Chinese

NEW DELHI: After a five-year hiatus, and ahead of a possible visit by PM Narendra Modi to China next month for the SCO summit, India announced resumption of tourist visas for Chinese nationals. Both sides have looked to facilitate people-to-people exchanges to normalise ties. China, which has been keen to resume direct air services, welcomed the decision as a positive move.

The Indian embassy in Beijing announced the decision effective July 24 on Weibo, China's microblogging site, on a day the two countries also held another round of diplomatic talks on border affairs, expressing satisfaction with the "general prevalence of peace and tranquillity in the border areas, leading to gradual normalisation of bilateral relations".

India and China have had frequent high-level engagements since Modi's meeting with President Xi Jinping in Kazan last year, following the agreement to complete the disengagement of troops at the remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh. The decision to restart tourist visa services for Chinese nationals is the second significant step towards normalisation, after the resumption of Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage.

China welcomes India decision on tourist visas

The Chinese foreign ministry said, "This is a positive move. Easing cross-border travel serves the interests of all parties. China will maintain communication and consultation with India to further facilitate travel between the two countries."

Chinese foreign minister and special representative (SR) for boundary talks Wang Yi is expected to visit India soon for the next round of SR (special representative) talks with NSA Ajit Doval and, with the thaw in ties holding up, Modi himself is likely to visit China for the SCO summit, to be held Aug 31-Sept 1. If it happens, this will be Modi's first visit to the country in seven years.

During his recent visit to China, foreign minister S Jaishankar had said, while citing the complex international situation, that as neighbouring nations and major economies, an open exchange of views and perspectives between India and China was very important.

In the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination (WMCC) talks on India-China border affairs, according to an Indian readout, the two sides agreed to maintain regular exchanges and contacts on issues related to the boundary affairs at the diplomatic and military levels through established mechanisms.

The focus was also on the upcoming SR talks for which Wang will be in India. "The two sides also prepared for the next round of Special Representatives' talks on the India-China boundary question to be held in India later this year," the Indian readout said.

Doval had travelled to China for the last round of SR boundary talks in Dec 2024. Doval and Wang had then reiterated the importance of maintaining a "political perspective of the overall bilateral relationship" while seeking a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable framework for settlement of boundary question, and resolved to inject vitality into the process.