The world’s two largest countries and close neighbors have been quietly inviting each other’s vacationers—however, Indians and Chinese trying to explore each other’s sights have faced nearly five years of blocked doors. lifted the visa freeze
Now, a hopeful thaw in ties suggests the door is finally creaking open.
India is about to welcome Chinese tourists again as its government begins to issue visitor permits for people from China. This marks the first time the step has been taken since a deadly border clash in 2020 pushed ties to their coldest level in decades.
According to the Indian embassy in Beijing, residents of China will be able to submit tourist visa applications starting Thursday, July 24.
“This positive development serves the common interests of all parties involved,” the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun told reporters. He added that “China stands ready to keep communication and consultations open with India to keep raising the efficiency of cross-border people-to-people exchange.”
In recent months, India-China relations have gradually normalized following the sharp dip that came after the June 2020 Galwan Valley clash, where close-quarters combat left 20 Indian and 4 Chinese soldiers dead.
Flights and pilgrimages resume
Even today, the two countries continue to station large numbers of troops along the 2,100-mile (3,379-kilometer) frontier, known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Since the Line itself remains undefined, it serves as a frequent flashpoint carried over from the 1962 war.
The 2020 violence marked the first lethal encounter in that zone after over four decades of relative peace and added stress to India’s Ladakh sector, which is adjacent to China’s Aksai Chin area.
“Inbound tourism is slowly healing after COVID, so it’s good that another market is coming back,” says Sarvjeet Sankrit, founder of the Delhi travel agency Ghum India Ghum. He remembered seeing “lots of Chinese tourists” in the capital before the visa restrictions hit.
The lifting of rules is “great for drivers, guides, and hotel owners,” Sankrit added. “Business for everyone will get a boost.”
Chinese visitor Kate Hu, whose boyfriend is Indian, is happy she can finally meet his family. The Hong Kong-based comedian had already bought tickets for her sister’s wedding in April, only to discover that the visa was denied.
“I lost a little money,” Hu admitted. “We joked about marriage just to get a visa, so I’m glad I won’t have to rush to the altar for that,” she laughed. Her boyfriend is currently in India caring for his sick mother. “If I could have traveled earlier, I would have gone with him,” she said.
Flights and Pilgrimages Resume
India just announced that it will stop limiting visas, marking another step in efforts by both countries to mend ties since Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi met last October at the BRICS summit in Russia.
Earlier this year, direct commercial flights were given the green light. Last week Beijing decided to allow Indian pilgrims to visit Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar in western Tibet, a route that had been closed for five years.
Also this month, New Delhi’s foreign minister S. Jaishankar sat down with China’s Wang Yi in Beijing. They agreed in a joint statement that the two countries had made steady progress in stabilising ties and will emphasize people-to-people exchanges.
“India and China are gradually returning to a new normal,” stated Harsh V. Pant, the foreign-policy lead at the Observer Research Foundation in New Delhi.
He added that both countries are recalibrating their approaches, and acknowledged that Delhi has a distinctive task in managing its relationship with Beijing right now.
Despite the ongoing tensions, India is still economically dependent on China and sees “a possibility of building an economic partnership” while making its red lines clear, Pant said.
Delhi-based teacher Saurabhi Singh said while India and China have fought wars in the past, “relations can and should change.”