India will begin issuing tourist visas to Chinese citizens from July 24, marking the first time in five years that such travel will be permitted amid ongoing efforts by both countries to mend strained diplomatic ties. The announcement was made by the Indian Embassy in Beijing on Wednesday.
The move signals a notable shift in bilateral relations, which deteriorated sharply following a deadly military clash in 2020 along the disputed Himalayan border. In the aftermath of the skirmish, India imposed sweeping restrictions on Chinese investments, banned over 200 Chinese mobile apps, and scaled back passenger connectivity between the two countries.
China, meanwhile, had suspended most foreign visa services, including those for Indian citizens, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While Beijing resumed visa issuance for students and business travellers in 2022, Indian tourists were not allowed entry until now. A breakthrough came earlier this year when both countries agreed in March to resume direct flights, setting the stage for further normalization.
China’s Foreign Ministry welcomed India’s latest decision. “China is ready to maintain communication and consultation with India and constantly improve the level of personal exchanges between the two countries,” said ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun during a press briefing on Wednesday.
Efforts to rebuild diplomatic trust have included several high-level engagements over the past year. Notably, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met on the sidelines of a summit in Russia last October—their first face-to-face interaction since the border conflict.
Despite these developments, underlying tensions persist. The two nuclear-armed neighbours share a 3,800-kilometre (2,400-mile) border that has been contested since the 1950s. The countries fought a brief but intense war in 1962, and repeated efforts to reach a lasting settlement have yielded limited progress.
During talks with his Chinese counterpart earlier this month, Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar stressed the need for both sides to reduce border friction, disengage troops from flashpoints, and avoid restrictive economic measures to fully normalize relations.
The decision to reopen tourist visa access is seen as a step toward restoring people-to-people ties, which had been largely frozen since 2020. While significant challenges remain, both nations appear committed to cautiously rebuilding a relationship vital to regional stability and global geopolitics.
