India and China have agreed to resume direct air travel after a gap of more than five years. This became a sign of improving relations between the countries against the background of economic instability and the trade policy of US President Donald Trump, reports Bloomberg.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced plans to resume flights during a meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping. The meeting took place as part of Modi’s first visit to China in seven years, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit in Tianjin. Modi did not specify when flights would resume, but the statement itself was evidence of warming relations between the two countries, whose economies are under pressure from American tariffs.
Back in August, the foreign ministers of India and China agreed to strengthen cooperation in the field of trade and investment. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi then called the meeting with Modi productive and emphasized that progress in relations between the two countries is “driven by respect for each other’s interests.
The warming of relations between Beijing and New Delhi comes after the Donald Trump administration’s decision to impose 50 percent tariffs on Indian goods, as India remains one of the biggest buyers of Russian oil. At the same time, there is a trade truce between the USA and China.
Let us remind you that Modi held talks with Xi Jinping in Tianjin on August 31. During the meeting, the Chinese leader said that friendly relations with India are the “right choice” for both countries. So far, Trump’s tariff policy has brought Beijing and New Delhi closer together. Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong emphasized that China will “stand firmly with India” in opposition to American tariffs.
