India & China to resume Kailash Mansarovar Yatra in summer 2025

Guwahati, Jan 28: India and China have decided to resume the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra in the summer of 2025, as announced by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) following a meeting between Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on Monday.

The meeting, held under the Foreign Secretary-Vice Foreign Minister mechanism, comprehensively reviewed India-China bilateral relations and emphasized people-centric measures to stabilize and rebuild ties.

The decision aligns with the understanding reached between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping during their meeting in Kazan in October. The MEA stated that relevant mechanisms will finalize the modalities for the pilgrimage based on existing agreements.

Both sides also agreed, in principle, to resume direct air services between India and China. Relevant technical authorities from both countries will work to develop an updated framework for this purpose at the earliest.

Additionally, an early meeting of the India-China Expert Level Mechanism will be convened to discuss the resumption of hydrological data sharing and other trans-border river cooperation.

With 2025 marking the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two nations, both sides decided to intensify public diplomacy efforts to rebuild mutual trust and foster greater awareness about each other. Commemorative activities will be conducted to celebrate the milestone.

The meeting also addressed economic and trade concerns, with both countries agreeing to resolve issues to promote policy transparency and long-term stability. The MEA emphasized the need to resume dialogues gradually and utilize them to address priority areas of interest and concern.

The renewed efforts signal a positive step towards improving bilateral relations, with both nations aiming to enhance cooperation in key areas.