Preliminary
The news of the resumption of direct flights between China and India once made many people feel that Sino-Indian relations were warming up, but the reaction from China made this matter not so simple.
The Chinese official media only responded briefly and did not express their views enthusiastically. However, India feels that this matter is unusual. It is not that China is indifferent, but that China still has unresolved knots.
India took the lead in signaling warming relations
India has taken the resumption of direct flights as a priority, and the Indian Civil Aviation Administration has declared to resume all routes between China and India, and even to replace all previous missing routes.
India's spokesman specifically spoke at the press conference: this is a sign of the warming up of China-India relations, is the convenience of the two peoples' travel, and has also opened up new channels for economic and trade cooperation.
The enthusiasm of India has not flowed to the surface, and since the news was released, Indian Airlines has been acting continuously.First increased flights, then launched special prices for China-India to return tickets, and even claimed prices are lower than before.
According to the business travel needs of the two countries, the new route to Bangalore to Chengdu has been opened specifically to facilitate the travel requirements of IT enterprises.The Indian media has written a long paper that the restoration of direct flights will inevitably bring China and India trade to a new level, and will even drive the development of the third industry between China and India.
In order to make it more acceptable to China, Indian officials also took the initiative to find China for docking. He said that he would strengthen cooperation between the airlines of the two countries and even share resources, and once invited China to visit India.
Many Indian officials believe that China will definitely be led by them. After all, it is a good thing for both sides. However, China's response fell short of what India expected.
Look rationally, respond rationally
The reaction of the Chinese side was slightly "delayed", and from the information received, the notification issued by China's Civil Aviation was issued three days after the Indian official announced, and the content was the wording of the official response.
According to the Sino-Indian cooperation arrangement, direct flights will be resumed, and the specific flight frequency will be confirmed independently by each airline. There is neither the so-called warming of India's relations nor the far-reaching influence that India expects, as if it is doing things according to the established process.
China Airways has only resumed previously suspended routes in accordance with the practice, without increasing the number of flights or preferential efforts.
When faced with journalists' questions, they only gave a program adjusted according to market needs.
Faced with the resource sharing mentioned by India during its visit, warming relations and increasing trade volume, China's response follows the principle of pragmatism.
In other words, cooperation can be discussed, and specific matters must be viewed in accordance with the specific conditions of both parties.
India faced China's plain response, a little untouchable.The Indian media believes that the restoration of the China-India route is the beginning of relationships breaking the ice, China's reaction is like a routine business.
It is not that China does not attach importance to India's behavior this time, but China is just making a calm judgment. If China-India relations are really to warm up, it is not enough to restore the routes alone for the old problems left over from the past. Priority must be given to solving problems that have not been properly handled before.
Past differences, current cracks
What prevents China from changing its dull attitude most is the trust problem left in the border areas.
Friction on the China-India border has not escalated in recent years. The two sides have maintained high-level talks, but India has never expressed its position on key differences.
For example, in the well-known places where there were frictions, such as the Galwan Valley and Pangong Lake, the control measures between China and India have not been lifted, and domestic concerns about border issues have not disappeared.
A Chinese businessman who has been to India once said that now to go to India to talk about business, although the performance is friendly, but as soon as the topic to the border issue a little, the atmosphere instantly becomes stiff.
Both sides are very concerned that one day after the friction escalation, it will affect the cooperation between the two sides, this concern is also logical, after all, since the 2020 Sino-India border friction, many cooperation projects have been suspended, the number of flights has been sharply reduced, even now the return of flights, but uncertainty still exists.
India is also very clear about China's concerns, but India always wants to escape reality, promote cooperation first and then solve problems, but China's attitude is completely opposite to that of India's.
Just like two people with different personalities, one is talking about the city gate tower, and the other is looking at the hip bone and elbow.
Since there have been differences before, even now the relief of relations is also consistent, there is no way to never be guilty.
This trust rift must be deeply understood at the social level. After the previous Sino-Indian border conflict, China tourists would worry before going to India and felt that security issues were important hidden dangers.
The same is true for India, and the misunderstanding of China has not been completely resolved.
So that even if the route has been restored, there are only business travellers, and the tourism and catering industry has only potential development space.
Changes in self-conflict
Putting aside border disputes, India's cooperation in other fields always means to take advantage.
The resumption of direct flight will bring economic and trade cooperation, but India adds to the Chinese enterprise layers, and the Indian side's split attitude leads China to suspect that India has other purposes.
The most obvious one is India's restrictions on Internet companies. India has removed social software that obtains privacy rights on security grounds.
Excessive demands for Chinese companies to store database data in India to be deployed on local servers and not to use cloud services, so the operating costs of enterprises have increased dramatically.
I wanted to take this opportunity to go to the Indian market for on-site inspections, but I still hesitated with so many requirements...
India's calculations in the manufacturing industry and infrastructure fields are booming. On the surface, India is welcoming China companies, but in fact it is making it difficult in disguise.
The project approval process is too cumbersome and is forced to work with local to share technology, which is India’s solution to the employment problem of its country’s population.
India's starting point can be understood, but the emergence of import restriction requirements is equivalent to taking a stone to knock your feet, demanding more threshold is higher, and enterprises are difficult to land.
India also used to use Chinese products as articles, and early this year, India seized Chinese exports of electronic products for quality issues.
Later, India checked for a long time before realizing that it was unwarranted, and finally had no choice but to release it. India's behavior of looking for trouble has exhausted the enthusiasm of Chinese enterprises.
Many Chinese enterprises have expressed that cooperation must have a sense of prevention and sign more supplementary agreements in order to cope with the uncertain India.
India's behavior seems to give itself an advantage, but it actually violates the "heavenly rules" of cooperation. If you really want to cooperate, you should show sincerity and put away your small abacus. The attitude of desiring both is in turn pouring cold water on yourself.
China's laxness, in fact, is the best response to India, neither stiffening China-India relations nor showing attitude, but waiting for India to express its sincerity.
After all, long-term development is the common goal. One step at a time, we should lay a solid foundation. Perhaps soon, China-India relations will be able to take off smoothly and land safely like direct flights.
References:
Indian Embassy in China: Direct flights between China and India will resume before the end of October
The Internet of Observers 2025-10-03
Foreign Minister of India on China-India relations: conflict is not the right way to solve problems
Network of Observers 2025-03-28 14:10:34
Indian officials at the Davos Forum say if borders are peaceful, or investment restrictions on China are relaxed
Network of Observers 2024-01-18 20:41:34