Clear objection to the agreement reached between China and India to use Nepali territory
Beijing/Kathmandu, Aug. 30
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has raised
the issue of Lipulek – a border pass in Nepali territory in India-encroached
Kalapani region – during the bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi
Jinping.
In the meeting held on the eve of
the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2025 on Saturday in Tianjin
of China, he asserted that the territory belongs to Nepal and the Government of
Nepal registered its strong objection to the recent understanding reached
between India and China on border trade through Lipulek, the Embassy of Nepal
in Beijing informed in a statement.
The statement by the Embassy underscored that the Prime Minister made it
clear the area lies within Nepalese territory, and the Government of Nepal has
lodged a strong objection to the agreement.
During the visit of
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to India on August 18 and 19, the two
countries reached an agreement to reopen the historic Lipulek Pass. The two
countries had agreed to open the Pass for trade during Indian Prime Minister
Narendra Modi’s visit to China in 2015, but was shut after their armies clashed
in Laddakh in 2020.
As this happened without Nepal's notice, the government sent a
diplomatic note to the governments in New Delhi and Beijing. It had done the
same in the past as well.
Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai informed that Prime Minister Oli,
during his meeting with President Xi, explicitly conveyed Nepal’s objection to
the agreement reached between China and India to use Nepali territory.
He stated that, according to the 1816 Treaty of Sugauli, all land to the
east of the Mahakali River clearly belongs to the sovereign nation of Nepal.
Citing Prime Minister Oli, Secretary Rai added that Nepal believes China will
extend its support to Nepal in this matter.
Hope to accelerate BRI projects
Expressing hope on accelerating
implementation of projects already agreed, including under the Belt and Road
Initiative (BRI), PM Oli requested for support in such areas as fertiliser,
petroleum exploration, human resource development, climate resilience and
people-to-people connections.
In response, President Xi Jinping
expressed China’s willingness in supporting Nepal in fulfilling its aspiration
of 'Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali'.
According to the Embassy, he also
stated that China will cooperate with Nepal in multilateral forums including UN
and SCO, and reiterated China’s continued support in Nepal’s development
including through implementation of high-quality BRI projects that have been
agreed between the two countries.
Likewise, the two leaders discussed
various aspects of Nepal-China relations and expressed their commitment to
advance mutually beneficial cooperation in the days ahead.
Prime Minister Oli thanked for
China’s continuous support in Nepal’s development endeavours. He extended his
best wishes for the success of SCO Summit 2025 and requested the President of
China for support to Nepal’s membership aspiration in the SCO.
During the meeting, Nepal was represented by former Deputy Prime
Minister and Nepali Congress lawmaker Purna Bahadur Khadka, Minister for
Education, Science and Technology Raghuji Pant, Minister for Culture, Tourism
and Civil Aviation Badri Prasad Pandey, Prime Minister’s Economic and
Development Adviser Dr. Yuba Raj Khatiwada, CPN-UML lawmaker Chhabilal
Bishwakarma, Foreign Secretary Rai, Nepal’s Ambassador to China Dr. Krishna
Prasad Oli, along with senior Chinese officials.
PM Oli's itinerary
PM Oli and his delegation reached Tianjin
on Saturday afternoon on a five-day visit to China. Upon arrival at the Tianjin
Binhai International Airport, the Prime Minister was welcomed by Sun Meijun,
Minister and Secretary of CPC Committee of the General Administration of
Customs of China, Yu Yunlin, Chairman of Tianjin People's Congress, Chinese
Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song and Dr. Oli, Ambassador of Nepal to China.
The Embassy informed that PM Oli is
scheduled to meet with some world leaders on the sidelines of the SCO Summit
and attend Welcome Banquet and Gala performance to be hosted by President Xi
and first lady Peng Liyuan.
He is scheduled to address the SCO Plus Summit as a guest speaker. The
summit will see the participation of heads of state and government from 20
countries, including the ten full members of the SCO, as well as leaders of ten
international organisations.
Established in 2001 as a Eurasian political, economic, and security
alliance, Nepal joined the SCO in 2016 as a dialogue partner. Oli is the first
head of government from Nepal to take part in an SCO meeting.
On September 2, Prime Minister Oli will also hold bilateral talks in
Beijing with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng. Likewise, he will hold separate
bilateral meetings with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Maldivian President
Dr. Mohamed Muizzu, Cambodian Prime Minister Dr. Hun Manet, Lao Prime Minister
Sonexay Siphandone, and Vietnamese Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh.
Similarly, on September 3, Prime Minister Oli will attend a
commemorative ceremony and military parade at Tiananmen Square in Beijing,
marking the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese people in the War of
Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the Second World War.
Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 30 August 2025. Written jointly with Karun Aryal in Beijing.
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