China and India will resume direct flights between designated cities by the end of October this year after a more than five-year hiatus, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Guo Jiakun confirmed on Thursday.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited China more than a month ago for the first time in seven years to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2025 in north China's port city of Tianjin, during which Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed with him that China and India were development partners, not rivals, and the two leaders discussed ways to strengthen trade ties amid global tariff uncertainty.
"China and India will resume direct flights by the end of October this year. This is the latest manifestation of the two sides' earnest implementation of the important consensus reached by President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Modi during their meeting in Tianjin on August 31, and is also a positive measure to facilitate friendly exchanges between the more than 2.8 billion people of China and India," Guo said at a press conference in Beijing.
"China is willing to work with India to view and handle China-India relations from a strategic height and long-term perspective, become good-neighborly friends and partners that help each other succeed, realize a cooperative pas de deux of the dragon and the elephant, benefit the two peoples more and better, and make due contributions to maintaining peace and prosperity in Asia and the world," he said.
China, India to resume direct flights by end October: spokesman
China, India to resume direct flights by end October: spokesman
After the devastating fire at the housing complex Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), the central government, Hong Kong authorities, and people from across China have joined forces in a massive outpouring of relief and support.
The blaze, the deadliest Hong Kong had witnessed for decades, broke out at around 14:50 on Nov 26 at the eight-towered residential estate Wang Fuk Court, which was under renovation, in Tai Po district. The fire quickly engulfed seven of the towers, leaving at least 159 dead, 79 injured and thousands of families homeless.
According to the latest official update, the Support Fund for Wang Fuk Court in Tai Po, established by the HKSAR government, has received 3 billion Hong Kong dollars in external donations. Together with the HKSAR government's start-up capital of 300 million Hong Kong dollars, the fund stands at around 3.3 billion Hong Kong dollars in total. It will be used to help residents rebuild their homes and provide long-term support.
Following the fire, the HKSAR government has made comprehensive, multi-tiered rescue and resettlement efforts.
On the night of the blaze, the government promptly established temporary shelters at multiple locations across Tai Po district, coordinating accommodations in youth hostels, hotels, and transitional housing for affected residents. Emergency subsidies and living allowances were distributed to those impacted, while support was also provided through a "one household, one social worker" mechanism.
People from across Hong Kong have joined volunteer efforts, hoping to bring warmth to the wounded community, with donated supplies such as clothing, food, drinking water continuously arriving at temporary shelters.
Many taxi drivers have also volunteered to provide free rides.
"We work here from 08:00 in the morning to past 22:00 at night. We only leave when there are no passengers. That's how it is. It does affect earnings a bit. It definitely has an impact. But that's not important. The most important thing is to help others first," said Wong Chi-chuen, a taxi driver .
At the request of the HKSAR government, the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of the State Council has coordinated the Ministry of Emergency Management to provide batches of supplies for the Tai Po fire relief effort, including portable outdoor charging stations, heavy-duty conveyors, blowers, respirators, goggles, protective suits, headlamps, and waterproof boots.
Mainland companies and residents, and various sectors in Macao also provided support following the devastating fire in Hong Kong, donating funds and supplies for emergency relief and post-disaster recovery.
"A large amount of supplies was collected and delivered to our disaster-stricken areas in a very short time. It made me realize what it means to be bound by blood. Because this kind of bond runs deep. I want to express my heartfelt thanks to everyone," said Peter Lam, chairman of Tai Po Rural Committee.
Support from across China pours in after devastating fire in Hong Kong
