WEBDESK: In a move being viewed by critics as a strategic backpedal, India has announced the resumption of tourist visas for Chinese citizens starting July 24, five years after suspending them. The decision, confirmed by India’s embassy in Beijing, comes even as key disputes remain unresolved, particularly along the Himalayan border.
Modi’s u-turn: woos Chinese tourists amid unresolved disputes
The Modi government’s Chinese tourists visa move comes after years of aggressive posturing and hardline rhetoric against China. Following the deadly 2020 border clash between Indian and Chinese troops in Ladakh, New Delhi had imposed sweeping measures including restrictions on Chinese investments, a ban on over 200 Chinese mobile apps, and the suspension of several passenger routes.
At the time, the Indian leadership projected strength and resistance against what it called Chinese aggression. However, this latest reversal is being seen as an attempt to normalise ties without any meaningful progress on core issues.
China, meanwhile, had suspended visas during the COVID-19 outbreak but resumed student and business visas in 2022. Despite that, India continued to restrict Chinese tourism access until now.
A breakthrough came in March this year when both countries agreed to resume direct air travel, hinting at a gradual softening of India’s position. Now, the full reopening of tourism seems to further underline India’s quiet shift in strategy.
Last year, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Russia, but the core issue of the 3,800 kilometre disputed border, which has been the source of tension since the 1950s, remains unsettled. The two sides fought a short but bitter war in 1962, and progress on boundary negotiations has been sluggish ever since.
Despite these unresolved issues, India is now extending a hand to Chinese tourists, raising questions about its diplomatic consistency and willingness to overlook core security concerns for optics and economic interest.
China, on the other hand, has responded positively. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun welcomed India’s decision and said, “China is ready to maintain communication and consultation with India and constantly improve the level of personal exchanges between the two countries.”
Yet critics argue that India’s eagerness to re engage appears more about image management than real reconciliation. The resumption of tourist visas, they say, comes without any troop withdrawal, resolution of flashpoints, or rollback of hostile narratives.
Even India’s own foreign minister, just weeks earlier, had insisted that the two nations must resolve border tensions, pull back military deployments, and avoid protectionist trade measures to rebuild trust. The sudden visa announcement now seems out of step with those demands, exposing contradictions in India’s foreign policy.
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