In response to the announcement by India’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on the resumption of direct flights between the two countries, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun confirmed at a press conference on Thursday that China and India will restart direct flights before the end of October this year.

Guo said this move reflects the earnest implementation of the important consensus reached by the leaders of China and India at their Tianjin meeting on August 31 and serves as a positive measure to facilitate friendly exchanges between the more than 2.8 billion people of the two nations.

The spokesperson added that China is ready to work with India to view and manage bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, fostering friendship, good-neighborliness, and mutually supportive partnership. Guo emphasized the goal of achieving a cooperative pas de deux of the dragon and the elephant, delivering tangible benefits for the peoples of both countries and contributing to peace and prosperity in Asia and beyond.