Illustration: Liu Rui/GT

For about five years, an unusual anomaly has existed on the global civil aviation map: China and India - the world's two most populous countries, two major economies, and two significant tourism markets - have had no direct flights between them. Now, it seems that the situation is likely to change. Multiple media outlets report that direct flights between the two could resume as early as next month.

According to Bloomberg, airlines in India have been asked by the government to prepare flights to China at short notice, with a possible official announcement as soon as the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit at the end of August in China. Media outlets, including Reuters and Hindustan Times, confirmed with Indian airlines that relevant preparations are indeed underway.

In 2020, direct flights were suspended due to the COVID pandemic and clashes between the two countries' troops along the border. Before that, there had been roughly 500 direct flights each month between China and India. In January of this year, China and India agreed to resume the flights. Then, in June, the two sides agreed to expedite the resumption. 

Recently, reports indicate a growing call within Indian society for the resumption of direct flights. Indian media noted that, in the absence of direct flights, travelers between India and China must rely on connecting flights through third countries, such as Bangkok and Singapore. The detour adds time and cost. Indian traders have also expressed that since China is an important destination for many businesspeople from India, there must be direct flight services for the benefit of common people from both sides.

Some Indian netizens' comments are equally straightforward and sincere. For instance, one user posted on X that "most people want to get along with their neighbors. Well done so far and may peace reign." Another wrote, "China is India's largest trading partner. Not US … Chinese tourists contributed handsomely in pre-COVID era to tourists inflow into India. This 'no direct flight' is not helping India other than massaging Western ego."

For businesspeople, direct flights are a shortcut to saving costs and expanding cooperation; for travelers, they serve as a bridge that shortens distances and act as a natural catalyst for mutual understanding and trust. On a broader level, direct flights can foster practical cooperation through economic and cultural exchanges, giving new impetus to stability and development in Asia.

China-India relations concern the well-being of 2.8 billion people, and the two sides' shared interests far outweigh their differences. Yet, looking back over the past several years, border disputes have cast a heavy shadow over bilateral ties and have been a source of misunderstanding, hostility, and wariness toward China among some Indian citizens. Moreover, some Indian politicians insist that bilateral relations cannot be normal without resolving border disputes, thus creating unnecessary obstacles to thawing ties. At the same time, external forces have long sought to drive a wedge between China and India, adding another layer of complexity.

In recent years, India has noticeably moved closer to the US, departing from its previous balanced diplomacy. It has actively participated in the Quad and become a pillar of US' "Indo-Pacific strategy." Yet the reality now is that, after multiple rounds of tariff negotiations, the US and India have still failed to reach a trade agreement. Ties between Washington and New Delhi have deteriorated rapidly, shattering India's illusion of US as a reliable partner. This has prompted strategic circles in India to debate whether a diplomatic recalibration is necessary to cope with the challenges posed by the US.

Many US media outlets have claimed that the trade war has created space for closer China-India ties. This is indeed an external backdrop. From China's perspective, however, it remains committed to a path of peaceful development, does not view its neighbors as competitors, and seeks mutual growth. Hopefully, India's diplomatic recalibration is driven not merely by external circumstances but by true strategic clarity: As the world's two largest developing countries, the urgent task is to advance each country's development, rather than fall into a zero-sum geopolitical contest. As Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has stated, China and India should be partners that contribute to each other's success, which is the only right choice for both sides.