"India-China Direct Flights Resume After Six-Year Suspension"
Line of Actual Control (LAC)
The de facto, undemarcated border between Indian and Chinese-controlled territory across five states and union territories.
Air Services Agreement (ASA)
A bilateral treaty specifying which airlines may operate between two countries, on which routes, and at what frequency.
India and China share one of the world's most consequential bilateral relationships. They are the two most populous nations and two of Asia's largest economies. They also share a disputed border spanning thousands of kilometres. Trade between them has grown substantially over the decades, but it is deeply asymmetric. China's exports to India are worth roughly eight times India's exports to China, making India one of China's largest trade-surplus relationships in Asia. India's chief exports to China include iron ore, chemicals, and cotton yarn. Imports from China are dominated by electronics, mobile phones, computer hardware, and industrial equipment. This structural imbalance gives China significant economic leverage, and strategic analysts note that China uses this trade surplus as an instrument of broader influence.
Direct air connectivity is a practical expression of how bilateral relations stand at any given moment. Before disruptions began in 2020, approximately 142,000 Indian tourists visited China in 2019. Business travel was even more significant. An estimated 3,000 Indian traders and business professionals were based in Guangzhou alone, drawn by the city's wholesale markets for apparel, accessories, and electronics. The Canton Fair, China's largest trade fair held biannually in Guangzhou, is a primary destination for Indian importers. Even during the suspension, nearly five lakh passengers travelled between the two countries annually, but via third-country hubs, bearing higher costs and longer travel times. This commercial pressure for direct connectivity persisted throughout the standoff period.
Direct flights between India and China were suspended in 2020, initially because of the global pandemic. However, while most countries restored air connectivity within two to three years, India-China direct flights remained suspended for over five years. The core reason was the 2020 Eastern Ladakh standoff, in which Chinese and Indian troops clashed along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The standoff resulted in casualties on both sides and triggered a broad freeze in bilateral ties. India responded with a series of measures beyond the military domain, including banning hundreds of Chinese mobile applications and tightening foreign direct investment rules for Chinese companies. Aviation connectivity became one of the many casualties of this diplomatic freeze.
The LAC is not a formally demarcated boundary. It is the de facto border between Indian and Chinese-controlled territory, stretching across Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh. …
'China is using its economic relations and positive trade surplus as tools to develop potential military power status in Asia.' In the light of this statement, discuss its impact on India as her neighbour.
Consider the following statements:
1.New Development Bank has been set up by APEC.
2.The headquarters of New Development Bank is in Shanghai.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Consider the following statements about the New Development Bank (NDB):
1.It was established by the BRICS grouping.
2.Its headquarters is located in Shanghai.
3.India is not a member of the NDB.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Consider the following statements about Guangzhou:
1.It is the capital of Guangdong Province in China.
2.It is situated on the Yangtze River.
3.It is approximately 120 km from Hong Kong.
4.The Canton Fair, China's largest trade fair, is held annually in Guangzhou.
How many of the above statements are correct?
Consider the following pairs:
City — Province/Region in China
1.Guangzhou — Guangdong
2.Shanghai — Jiangsu
3.Beijing — Hebei
How many of the above pairs are correctly matched?
With reference to India-China direct air connectivity, consider the following statements:
1.Direct flights between India and China were suspended in 2020 and had not resumed at all until 2026.
2.During the suspension, passengers continued to travel between India and China via hubs such as Singapore, Bangkok, and Hong Kong.
3.The Kolkata-Guangzhou route was among the first direct India-China routes to resume after the suspension.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
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