After five long years of closed borders and frozen ties, a major shift is finally underway.
According to reports, India will issue tourist visas to Chinese nationals tomorrow onwards, ending a five-year ban necessitated by the Galwan Valley conflict in 2020.
The India-China relationship has been marred by military hostilities, economic retaliation, and mistrust since the violent confrontation along the Himalayan frontier.
The Indian embassy in China made the announcement on Chinese social media platform Weibo, outlining the step-by-step procedure for visa application. The post stated:
“From July 24, 2025, Chinese citizens can apply for a tourist visa to visit India. They must first fill out the visa application form online on the web link and print it, and then make an appointment on the web link. Then they must take a passport, visa application form and other related documents to submit an application at the Indian Visa Application Center.”
This move is India’s first such outreach since it suspended all tourist visas during the COVID-19 pandemic. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) had issued a formal notice in April 2022 declaring all tourist visas for Chinese nationals invalid — a development many viewed as a “tit-for-tat” response after China restricted the return of over 22,000 Indian students stranded due to the pandemic.
The Global Times, China’s state-run outlet, also confirmed the update on X (formerly Twitter), echoing the Indian embassy’s details on the application process. The post read:
“This marks the first time since the suspension in 2020 that India has resumed issuing tourist visas to Chinese citizens after a five-year hiatus, according to media reports.”
It further noted that Chinese citizens must complete an online application, schedule an appointment, and physically submit their passport and relevant documents at Indian Visa Application Centers in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou, including the South China’s Guangdong Province.
Signs of a gradual diplomatic understanding are apparent.
In January 2025, India and China agreed to resume direct commercial flights between Beijing and New Delhi, following a key diplomatic visit by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.
During the visit, both sides agreed to reopen pilgrimage routes to Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar in western Tibet — a significant development for Indian religious travelers.
The Galwan Valley clash of 2020 marked a chilling turning point in India-China relations — a brutal, high-altitude standoff that left soldiers dead on both sides and sent diplomatic ties into a deep freeze.
It was the sharpest collapse in bilateral trust seen in decades.
What followed was swift retaliation from New Delhi. Hundreds of Chinese apps were banned. Investments were curbed and passenger air routes severed.
Now, with tourist visas back on the table, a softening of diplomatic positions is visible.
It’s premature to conclude that the two nations are headed towards a full normalisation. It could be just a fragile diplomatic reset after a period of stony silence.
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