China and India are negotiating the revival of border trade that has been on hold since 2020, according to sources cited by Bloomberg. China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Beijing is keen to accelerate discussions with India on reopening the routes. New Delhi did not comment on Bloomberg’s request.
For more than three decades merchants on both sides traded at three Himalayan posts, dealing mainly in spices, electrical goods, furniture and livestock feed. The volumes were small — a combined $3.16 mln in 2017 and 2018 — yet the exchanges mattered to local economies and symbolised a working relationship along the frontier.
Bloomberg reports that both governments have proposed restarting commerce through the designated crossing points, with the issue now the subject of bilateral talks.
The posts were closed at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, coinciding with a sharp deterioration in relations after deadly clashes along the border. Those confrontations left four Chinese soldiers and 20 Indian soldiers dead.
Recent signals point to a cautious thaw. The two countries plan to restore flights in September and China has loosened restrictions on fertiliser supplies to India, steps seen as confidence-building measures alongside the trade discussions.
Kursiv also reports that a major political dispute has erupted in India after opposition parties accused the Election Commission of India (ECI) of large-scale irregularities in the 2024 general election.
