India and China Resume Kailash Mansarovar Yatra After Four Years

India and China have taken a significant step toward fostering cultural and spiritual connections by deciding to resume the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, which had been halted since 2020. This decision was announced following a meeting between Indian foreign secretary Vikram Misri and Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the two sides have agreed to discuss the modalities for resuming the Yatra under existing agreements. The pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar holds immense spiritual importance for Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains.

Additionally, India and China decided to strengthen people-to-people ties by promoting direct flights between the two nations and encouraging interaction between media and think tanks. “The two sides agreed to gradually resume functional exchanges and address specific concerns in economic and trade areas, fostering transparency and predictability,” said the MEA.

Steps Toward Collaboration
The meeting also included discussions about resuming hydrological data-sharing and other cooperative measures for trans-border rivers. Both nations are also exploring avenues to address long-term policy challenges in trade.

Foreign secretary Vikram Misri’s two-day visit to Beijing marks the latest effort to enhance diplomatic ties. His visit flows from leadership-level agreements aimed at rebuilding India-China relations in political, economic, and cultural domains.

Path Forward
India continues to emphasize that normalization of relations depends on peace in the border regions. With patrolling activities recently resuming in Demchok and Depsang after nearly four and a half years, this decision to restart the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra symbolizes a step toward improved bilateral relations.