Ties between India and China seem to be warming up according to analysts, as the Chinese government recently reopened a historic passageway located in the Sino-Indian border area. The Nathu La Pass, located high up in the Himalayas, was reopened on Monday, June 22.
The Nathu La Pass, situated approximately 54 kilometers east of Indian city Gangtok, was closed in 1962 following border conflicts between the two Asian giants.
For the first time in 53 years, 43 pilgrims from India entered the Tibet Autonomous Region via the pass in accordance with the start of their 12-day pilgrimage to several religious sites in Tibet's Ngari prefecture.
The Indian nationals are expected to visit Mount Kangrinboqe (Mount Kailash) and Lake Mapam Yumco (Lake Manasarovar). Mount Kailash is part of the Transhimalaya in Tibet.
According to Xinhua News Agency, the Nathu La Pass was reopened in 2006 as a result of an agreement between former Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari and the Chinese government when the Indian official visited China in 2003.
The reopening of the Nathu La Pass is seen by observers as a sign of increasing mutual political trust and cultural exchanges between China and India. China's Ambasaddor to India Le Yucheng confirmed this at the opening ceremony held on Monday, and said that the decision to reopen the land pass was a result of an agreement between President Xi Jinping and Chinese and Indian leaders.
"This [opening] is an extension of Sino-Indian cooperation following the opening for trade in 2006," Director Jiang Jingkui from Peking University's Center for South Asian studies said in an interview with the Global Times.
"As Nathu La Pass is near the area where China and India have border disputes, opening the route shows the two countries' rising political trust as well as their confidence and resolve in maintaining peace and stability along the disputed border," Jiang added.