They are the two most populous countries in the world and neighbors clamoring for more tourists, but for much of the last five years it has been difficult for Indian and Chinese nationals to vacation in each other’s nations.
Now that looks set to finally change as previous fractious relations between the two Asian giants finally begin to thaw.
India will issue tourist visas for Chinese citizens for the first time in five years, allowing nationals from its neighboring country to freely visit each other, marking a significant reset in relations after a deadly border clash sent ties into a deep freeze.
From Thursday, July 24, Chinese citizens can apply for tourist visas to India, the Indian embassy in Beijing said Wednesday.
This “positive news” is in the “common interests of all parties,” China’s foreign spokesperson Guo Jiakun said. “China is willing to maintain communication and consultation with India to continuously improve the level of facilitation of personnel exchanges between the two countries.”