Delhi-Guangzhou flights to resume as PM Modi-Xi meeting signals thaw in India-China ties

Modi-Xi talks in focus

Xi is scheduled to arrive in Delhi on Saturday and attend the BRICS Summit at Bharat Mandapam. His meeting with Modi is expected to cover some of the most sensitive and consequential areas of the bilateral relationship, including the border situation, trade, economic cooperation, travel and tourism and regional security.

Xi is also expected to unveil new initiatives aimed at strengthening cooperation among countries of the Global South, building on proposals he previously presented at the SCO Summit in Bishkek.

His delegation includes Cai Qi, Director of the General Office of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

The renewed diplomatic engagement comes against a complicated backdrop.

India-China business ties have shown signs of improvement since the tensions that followed the Galwan clashes. The approval of business visas for Chinese professionals and the easing of restrictions on the purchase of Chinese equipment have helped facilitate greater commercial engagement.

More than 100 Chinese products are considered critical to Indian factories, underlining the depth of the economic relationship despite continuing strategic differences.

Yet the relationship remains far from normal.

India and China continue to maintain substantial military deployments along their disputed borders, including in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh. At the same time, bottlenecks over visas and access to Chinese equipment and components continue to pose challenges for parts of India's electronics and manufacturing sectors.

China's role in India's military confrontation with Pakistan last year has added another layer of complexity. Beijing was not directly involved in the four-day conflict, but Pakistan relied heavily on Chinese-made fighter aircraft and missiles.

Against this backdrop, the return of a direct Guangzhou-Delhi flight is more than an airline scheduling decision. It is another small but visible sign of two countries attempting to restore practical links even as difficult questions over borders, security and strategic trust remain unresolved.