Indian Prime Minister Modi hails progress made with China

Narendra Modi hailed the recent progress in India-China ties. Ahead of the prime minister's slated visit to China later this month, India announced the resumption of direct flights and expansion of trade relations.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hailed the "steady progress" made in improving the bilateral relationship with China during his meeting with Beijing's Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday in New Delhi.

"Since my meeting with President Xi [Jinping] in Kazan last year, India-China relations have made steady progress guided by respect for each other's interests and sensitivities," Modi said in a post on social media platform X.

"Stable, predictable, constructive ties between India and China will contribute significantly to regional as well as global peace and prosperity," Modi added.

Wang's visit follows years of poor relations between the nuclear-armed Asian powers.

Flights to resume, trade ties expanded

The two Asian giants agreed on Tuesday to resume direct flights and expand trade and investment as they work to repair strained ties.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs said flights, which have been halted since 2020, will restart, although no resumption date was specified.

India also said that border trade will reopen at three points, and visa rules will be eased.

Modi to visit China at end of August

At the start of the meeting, India's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval said Modi will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit that begins on August 31 in Tianjin.

"Our prime minister will be visiting for the SCO summit," Doval said, speaking of "new energy" in diplomatic ties.

It will be the first time in seven years the Indian Prime Minister will travel to China. 

Wang said China "attaches great importance" to Modi's visit to the SCO summit, according to an official translator.

"History and reality prove once again that a healthy and stable China-India relationship serves the fundamental and long-term interests of both of our countries," Wang added.

When did Indo-Chinese ties begin mending?

India and China, the world's two most populous nations, have had a tense relationship marred by rivalries and competitions for influence across South Asia.

In 2020, tensions escalated to a deadly border clash. The violence left 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese soldiers dead, putting an indefinite freeze on high-level political engagements.

The thaw between Beijing and New Delhi began last October when Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met at a summit of emerging economies in Russia. 

It was the first time the leaders had formally spoken since 2019.

Tuesday's talks also addressed border issues covering troop pullbacks along the Himalayan front, border delimitation, and other boundary matters, the Indian ministry said.

On Monday, Wang said the setbacks over the past few years were not in the interest of the two countries.

"We are heartened to see the stability that is now restored in the borders," he said.

Trump tariffs key to improving India-China relations

The rebuilding of India-China ties comes as US President Donald Trump's aggressive tariffs policy has increased friction between New Delhi and Washington with steep tariffs on India.

India has been a longtime US ally, seen as a counterbalance against China's influence in Asia.

This year, both India and China have increased official visits and discussed easing some trade restrictions, while advocating for the movement of citizens and visas for business people.

In the last week, the spokesman for India's Foreign Ministry, Randhir Jaiswal, explained India and China have been in discussions to restart trade through three areas along their 3,488-kilometer (2,167-mile) border.

Edited by: Rana Taha