India to continue issuing tourist visas to Chinese citizens

• The move comes five years after the military conflict between India, China.
• Several high -level meetings in 2024 lead to improved links.
• Indian FM urges China to avoid “restrictive commercial measures”.
  

India will repeat the issue of tourist visas to Chinese citizens since July 24 of this year, its embassy in China announced Wednesday, marking the first time in five years since both countries are working to repair their rocky relationship.

Tensions between the two countries escalated after a 2020 military conflict along the controversial border of the Himalayas. In response, India imposed restrictions on Chinese investment, banned hundreds of popular Chinese applications and cutting passenger routes.

China suspended the visas to Indian citizens and other foreigners around the same time due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but raised these restrictions in 2022, when it reiterated the visas for students and professional travelers.

Tourist theories for Indian nationals remained limited until March this year, when both countries agreed to continue the immediate air service.

Relations have been gradually improved, with several high -level meetings held last year, including talks between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Russia in October.

China Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun said Wednesday that Beijing had marked the positive move.

“China is ready to maintain communication and consultation with India and constantly improve the level of personal exchanges between the two countries,” he said.

India and China are sharing a 3,800 -kilometer (2,400 mile) border that were challenged in the 1950s. The two countries fought a short but violent border war in 1962 and the negotiations to settle the controversy have made slow progress.

In July, India’s Foreign Minister told his Chinese counterpart that both countries must resolve border friction, pull back troops and avoid “restrictive commercial measures” to normalize their relationship.