New Delhi, Aug. 20 -- India and China on Tuesday unveiled a slew of initiatives to address their border dispute and normalise bilateral ties in the wake of the LAC standoff, ranging from steps to explore an "early harvest" in boundary delimitation to resumption of direct flights and facilitation of trade and investment flows. The measures were announced following visiting Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi's talks with National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval under the Special Representatives mechanism and his meeting with external affairs minister S Jaishankar, and came ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's trip to China at the end of this month to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit. The Prime Minister confirmed his presence in Tianjin after meeting Wang on Tuesday evening. Both Doval and Wang pointed to steady progress in bilateral relations and easing of tensions on the border after the understanding last October to end the face-off on the Line of Actual Control, reflecting the growing thaw in ties amid geo-economic churn caused by the trade policies of the US administration. At the meeting of the Special Representatives, the two sides agreed to create an expert group under the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on border affairs to explore "early harvest in boundary delimitation", and to set up another working group under the WMCC to "advance effective border management" and maintain peace and tranquillity, the external affairs ministry said in a statement. The two sides will create "general level mechanisms" for the eastern and middle sectors of the border, which cover Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim, respectively. These will be in addition to the existing general level mechanism for the western sector, which covers Ladakh, the scene of the standoff which lasted well over four years. The two sides also agreed to hold an early meeting of the mechanism for the western sector. The two sides further agreed to use diplomatic and military mechanisms to carry forward border management and discuss de-escalation, beginning with principles and modalities, the statement said. India and China emphasised the need for a "political perspective of the overall bilateral relationship while seeking a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable framework" for settling the border issue in line with the Agreement on Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for Settlement of the India-China Boundary Question signed in 2005, the statement added. Several other initiatives were finalised at Wang's meeting with Jaishankar on Monday, including resumption of direct flights "at the earliest" and finalisation of an updated air services agreement. Direct flights stopped during the Covid-19 pandemic and this continued after the face-off on the LAC. Both sides also agreed to facilitate visas for tourists, businesses, media and other visitors. Besides reopening border trade through three designated points at Lipulekh pass, Shipki pass and Nathu La, both sides agreed to facilitate trade and investment flows between the two countries through concrete measures. India had restricted foreign direct investments from China through Press Note 3 in April 2020. The two sides will also continue and expand the pilgrimage to Mount Kailash and Manasarovar lake in the Tibet region, starting from 2026. The pilgrimage resumed after a gap of five years in April. The two sides agreed to "give full play to the role of India-China Expert Level Mechanism on Trans-border Rivers" and discuss the renewal of relevant MoUs. "The Chinese side agreed to share hydrological information during emergency situations based on humanitarian considerations," the statement said against the backdrop of Indian concerns about China's plan to build a mega dam in Tibet. Both sides also agreed to support each other in hosting diplomatic events. For instance, China will support India's presidency of Brics in 2026, and India will back China in hosting the 2027 Brics Summit. They will resume bilateral dialogue mechanisms and exchanges to address each other's concerns and manage differences, including holding a meeting of the High-level Mechanism on People-to-People Exchanges in India in 2026. The Chinese side welcomed Modi's attendance at the upcoming SCO Summit in Tianjin, and the Indian side looked forward to a successful summit with fruitful outcomes. Both sides agreed a stable, cooperative and forward-looking relationship is in the mutual interest of both countries to "realise their development potential fully". India and China also agreed to uphold multilateralism, enhance communication on major international and regional issues, maintain a rules-based multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core, and promote a multipolar world that safeguards the interest of developing countries. In what appeared to be a reference to the trade policies of the US administration, a Chinese foreign ministry statement quoted Wang as saying that the two sides reached consensus on "deepening mutually beneficial cooperation, upholding multilateralism, jointly addressing global challenges, and opposing unilateral bullying". Wang also said the two sides reached a new consensus on the border issue, including "properly handling sensitive points and initiating boundary demarcation negotiations where conditions permit". The 24th round of talks under the Special Representatives mechanism focused on "de-escalation, delimitation and boundary affairs", the external affairs ministry said. Wang was quoted by the Chinese foreign ministry as saying that the two sides should "set goals in border control, demarcation negotiations and cross-border exchanges". Wang is the first Chinese minister to visit India since the two sides ended a standoff on the LAC last October and agreed to revive mechanisms to normalise ties. Despite the signs of a thaw, there were also indications of continuing concerns on the Indian side, including cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan, a close ally of China, and Beijing's plans to build what will be the world's largest hydropower dam in Tibet that could affect the flows in the Brahmaputra river....