After a five-year freeze, India has globally resumed tourist visas for Chinese nationals. We analyze the diplomatic thaw, the implications for tourism, and the timeline of India-China relations since the 2020 LAC standoff.
India China Tourist Visa Global Resumption Diplomacy Impact
In what signals one of the most substantial steps toward normalizing strained India-China relations since the 2020 Galwan Valley clash, India has quietly expanded and formally restored tourist visas for Chinese citizens globally. This move allows Chinese nationals to apply for tourist visas at Indian embassies and consulates worldwide, ending a near five-year freeze and marking a significant diplomatic thaw that centers on fostering people-to-people exchange and bilateral ties.
The decision to lift the comprehensive restriction, which was imposed following the deadly 2020 military confrontation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and maintained through the pandemic, comes after months of calibrated progress. While India had taken an initial, limited step in July 2025 by reopening applications only at its missions in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Hong Kong, this latest global reinstatement is seen as a powerful signal of New Delhi’s intent to completely revitalize the relationship beyond the immediate border dispute.
However, recent high-level diplomatic engagements have laid the groundwork for this latest decision. Key meetings between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping at the BRICS Summit in Kazan in October 2024, and the subsequent high-level talks, saw both leaders reaffirming that differences should not escalate into disputes.
The sequencing of events is critical to understanding the depth of this diplomatic thaw: the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, a revered pilgrimage site in Tibet, was also recently scheduled to resume next summer, further emphasizing a focus on religious and cultural connectivity.
