India-China cross-border trade resumes after 6 years

India and China reopened cross-border trade through three Himalayan passes after a six-year suspension on Saturday. The trade hiatus ended due to the COVID-19 pandemic and deteriorating relations between the two nations.Trade had been halted since March 2020 as India and China grappled with border tensions. However, the reopening ceremony took place in Sikkim's Nathula pass with representatives from both countries participating.Officials said seasonal trade would initially operate from Monday to Thursday until November under the existing bilateral trade protocol.

Thirty-eight registered traders were granted trade passes, and they will be allowed to exchange 36 notified items such as handicrafts, handloom products, traditional religious articles, and ready-made garments.Alongside Nathula, the Shipki La route in Himachal Pradesh and Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand also resumed trade. In Himachal Pradesh, 16 traders and their horses departed for Shipki village in Tibet.

Meanwhile, in Uttarakhand, a group of 20 Indian traders crossed into China's Tibet Autonomous Region through Lipulekh Pass.The reopening is expected to continue until the end of October, with the possibility of an extension until November if both nations agree. This marks the resumption of one of India's oldest traditional Himalayan trade routes.