Gangtok, Aug. 20 -- Traders in Sikkim have welcomed the announcement of the reopening of the Nathu La Pass for trade between India and China, saying that the "reopening brings hope for us." It was closed since 2019.

On Tuesday, India and China agreed to reopen border trade through the three designated passes, Lipulekh (Uttarakhand), Shipki La Pass (Himachal Pradesh) and Nathu La in Sikkim. Both countries also resumed direct flight connectivity.

The decisions were announced after the 24th round of the Special Representatives' dialogue, which was co-chaired by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, who was on a two-day visit to India.

The revival of trade is expected to provide a much-needed boost to t...