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India is set to restart issuing tourist visas to Chinese nationals starting July 24, 2025, according to an announcement from its embassy in China on Wednesday. This marks the first step in nearly five years toward repairing strained relations between the two countries.
The relationship has been tense since a military clash along their disputed Himalayan border in 2020. Following that conflict, India implemented restrictions on Chinese investments, banned hundreds of popular Chinese apps, and cut passenger flight services. Meanwhile, China had temporarily halted visas for Indian citizens and other foreigners due to the COVID-19 pandemic. These restrictions were lifted in 2022, allowing visas for students and business travelers to be reissued, but tourist visas for Indians only resumed in March this year after both nations agreed to restart direct air routes.
Over the past year, diplomatic ties have been gradually warming with several high-level meetings, including a noteworthy discussion between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Russia last October.
China’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Guo Jiakun, responded positively to India’s move, saying, “China is prepared to stay engaged in open communication and consultation with India, working toward increased personal exchanges between our nations.”
India and China share a long and contentious 3,800-kilometer border, a dispute that has persisted since the 1950s. The two nations engaged in a brief but fierce border war in 1962, and efforts to resolve the border issues have seen slow progress over the decades. Recently, India’s foreign minister emphasized to his Chinese counterpart the need to de-escalate border tensions, withdraw troops, and avoid restrictive trade measures to normalize their relationship.
The easing of travel restrictions and diplomatic engagements signal a cautious thawing of relations, although significant challenges remain in fully resolving their longstanding border disputes.
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