India resumes tourist visas for Chinese nationals after 5 years
India has decided to restart issuing tourist visas to Chinese nationals beginning Thursday, ending a five-year suspension that had become a symbol of strained ties between the two Asian giants.
The decision comes as New Delhi and Beijing work to restore bilateral relations, which have been tense since the 2020 border clashes in Ladakh and further strained during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The announcement coincided with the 34th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on border affairs, held in New Delhi on Wednesday. The talks, which focused on the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), were described as “constructive” by India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). Officials from both sides acknowledged that peace and stability have largely prevailed in border areas, a development they see as critical for normalizing broader ties.
The Indian delegation was led by Gourangalal Das, Joint Secretary (East Asia) in the MEA, while the Chinese side was headed by Hong Liang, Director General of the Boundary and Oceanic Affairs Department of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Both countries agreed to maintain frequent diplomatic and military-level communication to prevent misunderstandings and manage border issues effectively.
The meeting also laid the groundwork for the next round of Special Representatives’ talks, which will take place later this year in India between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. These high-level discussions are expected to address unresolved boundary disputes and explore confidence-building measures.
India’s decision to reinstate tourist visas comes just weeks after it reopened the historic Kailash Mansarovar Yatra route for pilgrims on June 30, a move widely seen as a gesture of goodwill towards China. Analysts say resuming people-to-people exchanges, including tourism, is a critical step in mending ties that have been marred by border tensions, trade frictions, and political mistrust.
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