India and China have agreed to resume direct commercial flights for the first time since they were halted in 2020 at the height of the pandemic and after a deadly Himalayan border clash. The decision, announced after two days of talks in New Delhi, also calls for an updated Air Services Agreement and the easing of visa procedures for tourists, business travellers and media personnel. The understanding was reached during Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s 19–20 August visit, which included meetings with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. Before the suspension, the two countries handled nearly 500 direct flights a month, according to Indian government data; no start date for the restored services was given, though both sides said they would act “as soon as possible.” Beyond aviation, the neighbours pledged to reopen border trade at the Lipulekh, Shipki La and Nathu La mountain passes and to step up two-way investment. They also agreed to establish a working group to advance long-stalled talks on delineating their 3,500-kilometre frontier, with the next round scheduled to take place in China in 2026. Modi said stable and predictable ties would aid regional and global prosperity, while Wang emphasised that improved relations serve the fundamental interests of both populations. The announcements come ahead of the Indian leader’s planned trip to China later this month for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit—his first visit to the country in seven years.