IndiGo flight 6E1703 from Kolkata touched down in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou on Monday.
Indian Consul General at Shanghai in China, Pratik Mathur, today welcomed the first batch of passengers arriving from New Delhi as direct commercial flights between the two countries officially resumed after five years.
The Indian consulate in a social media post said, India is emerging as a Global Hub as people-to-people ties grow stronger.
The move marks a significant step in restoring normal travel and trade links between the two Asian neighbours. Flights between India and China have been suspended since early 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent diplomatic tensions.
IndiGo flight 6E1703 from Kolkata touched down in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou shortly before 4:00am on Monday (20:00 GMT on Sunday), carrying about 180 passengers. The flight is the latest sign that the world’s two most populous nations are cautiously rebuilding relations after several years of diplomatic cooling.
India’s government said the resumption of flights will boost “people-to-people contact” and aid the “gradual normalisation of bilateral exchanges”.
Flights between the neighbouring countries were suspended in early 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic led to inflamed emotions. Deadly clashes along the shared Himalayan border have kept tensions high.
However, the reheating of relations comes as both countries vie with the foreign policy challenges emerging from the United States under President Donald Trump.
India’s ties with key trade partner Washington are faltering, with New Delhi seeking to persuade Washington to step back from punishing 50 percent trade tariffs.
Trump’s aides have accused India of aiding Russia’s war in Ukraine through oil purchases.
China is accused of directly supporting Russia’s invasion of its neighbour with weapons, while it is engaged in an ongoing tussle over trade.
Trump is scheduled to meet with President Xi Jinping on Thursday in a bid to avert an escalation of their trade war.