India on Thursday confirmed that it remains in discussions with China to restart border trade through designated transit points, which has been halted since the 2020 eastern Ladakh military standoff.
“We have remained engaged with the Chinese side to facilitate the resumption of border trade through all the designated trade points, namely Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand, Shipki La Pass in Himachal Pradesh, and Nathu La Pass in Sikkim,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.
The suspension of border trade followed escalating tensions and deadly clashes in the Galwan Valley in June 2020, which severely impacted bilateral relations.
Advanced Talks on Direct Flight Services
Sources indicate that India and China are at an “advanced stage” of negotiations to resume direct flights between the two countries. In recent months, both sides have taken steps to repair strained ties, including India’s decision last month to restart the issuance of tourist visas to Chinese nationals.
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The military standoff, which began in May 2020, was formally resolved following the disengagement process from the last friction points of Demchok and Depsang under an agreement finalised on October 21 last year.
