NEW DELHI, Aug. 24 — India and China have agreed to resume border trade through three designated points — Lipulekh Pass, Shipki-La and Nathu-La — after years of suspension, officials said. The two sides have also agreed to expand the scale of the Indian pilgrimage to Mount Kailash, Gang Renpoche and Lake Manasarovar beginning in 2026.
The decision was reached during a meeting between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in New Delhi, where a range of bilateral issues were discussed, officials noted.
A state government spokesperson said Himachal Pradesh had been pushing for the reopening of trade through the Shipki-La route in Kinnaur district. Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had earlier written to the Union government, urging revival of the historic Indo-Tibetan trade route.
Following this, the Union government took up the matter with Beijing, resulting in a consensus to restart trade. “The state government will now approach the Union Commerce Ministry to complete the codal formalities,” the spokesperson added.
