With a renewed emphasis on people-centric exchanges, India and China have made great strides toward repairing and stabilizing their bilateral relationship. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong met Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri during his two-day visit to New Delhi on June 12–13, 2025, to discuss the progress since their previous meeting in Beijing earlier this year.
The parties decided to keep working to stabilize relations, focusing on projects that directly help the citizens of both nations.
India’s gratitude for China’s assistance in resuming the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra, a pilgrimage with significant cultural and religious importance, was a major talking point during the talks. India expressed hope for progress on the resumption of hydrological data exchange and other cooperative measures during the two nations’ discussion of the results of the Expert Level Mechanism meeting on transboundary rivers in April 2025.
Practical measures to improve connectivity and exchanges were also covered in the discussions. India expressed hope for an early conclusion of a new flight Services Agreement, and both countries committed to speed up the restoration of direct flight services. Facilitation of visas and more media-think tank interactions were noted as priority to promote more interpersonal interactions.
India and China agreed to support the implementation of planned commemorative activities in honor of the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations after giving them a positive evaluation. This anniversary provides an opportunity to strengthen understanding and collaboration between the two parties.
India voiced worries throughout these diplomatic attempts about the unpredictability of rare earth metal supply, which are essential for sectors like the automotive industry. Recent export restrictions on specific rare earth products by the Chinese government have affected Indian industry, leading India to work with China to guarantee reliable and consistent supply chains that adhere to global standards. In order to resolve these concerns, the Ministry of External Affairs announced that talks are still taking on with Chinese officials in Beijing and Delhi.
The United States recently announced a deal with China to secure rare earth resources after extensive trade discussions, which highlights the wider global interest in rare earth supplies. This emphasizes the interdependence of global supply systems and the strategic significance of rare earths.
All things considered, the recent interactions between China and India show a practical strategy for mending fences, giving priority to connectivity, people-to-people interactions, and economic collaboration while simultaneously tackling important supply chain concerns that are essential to the industries of both nations.
