China, India To Restart Direct Flights, Resume Tourism Visa Issuance, Boost Trade

China and India announced they would restart direct flights in a string of diplomatic breakthroughs, state media reported Wednesday, as Beijing's foreign minister wrapped up a visit before heading to Pakistan.

Following Wang Yi's trip to India, Beijing and New Delhi also agreed to advance talks on their disputed border, resume tourism visa issuance and boost trade between the neighbouring countries.

In talks on the border issue with Indian national security adviser Ajit Doval, the two sides agreed to "explore the possibility of advancing boundary demarcation negotiations" and vowed to reopen three border trade markets, according to a Xinhua report Wednesday.

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Relations between the world's two most populous countries soured after a deadly border clash in 2020. But a thaw began last October when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Chinese leader Xi Jinping for the first time in five years at a summit in Russia.

Modi will travel to China later in August - his first visit since 2018.

Wang is now due in Pakistan, India's arch-rival and one of China's closest partners in the region.

"Both India and Pakistan are China's important neighbours. We are willing to enhance friendly cooperation with both countries, and hope that differences between these two countries can be handled properly," foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a regular press conference Tuesday.

She described China and Pakistan as "ironclad friends and all-weather strategic partners".

China has poured tens of billions of dollars into Pakistan to fund massive transport, energy and infrastructure projects - part of Beijing's transnational Belt and Road scheme.

Islamabad used Chinese-made military hardware, including jets, against India during a four-day conflict in May that killed more than 70 people.

The conflict was sparked by an attack on tourists by gunmen in Indian-administered Kashmir that New Delhi accused Islamabad of backing -- a charge it denies.

Kashmir is claimed in full by both India and Pakistan, which have fought several wars over the Muslim-majority region since their 1947 independence from British rule.

Wang said that China supported Islamabad in defending "national sovereignty and territorial integrity", in talks with Pakistan's Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar in May, days after Islamabad and New Delhi agreed a ceasefire.

Wang is due in Pakistan until Friday and will meet with Dar for the sixth round of China-Pakistan Foreign Ministers' Strategic Dialogue, China's foreign ministry said Tuesday.

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