China and India agreed to restart direct flights after a five-year hiatus, the latest sign of thawing relations between the world’s most populous nations. New Delhi said flights between Kolkata and Guangzhou would restart this month for the first time since border clashes in 2020.
The decision comes just months after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made his first visit to Beijing in seven years, with the countries’ leaders drawing closer, particularly after US President Donald Trump imposed 50% tariffs on India, upending what had been a burgeoning bilateral partnership. Those levies were “one of the biggest shocks that India has ever got,” an expert said, forcing New Delhi to seek new allies.
