Submit your Article

Chinese President Xi Jinping has said that China does not want to be involved in the Nepal-India border dispute, underlining that both sides should resolve the issue on their own.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said so during a meeting with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, Amrit Bahadur Rai, Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said.

During the meeting, Prime Minister Oli raised the recent agreement reached between India and China to reopen the trade through Lipulekh pass.

Mentioning that the territory belongs to Nepal, PM Oli told President Xi that the Nepali government has expressed serious objection to the issue.

In response, President Xi said that the Lipulekh route has been a traditionally used route.

Secretary Rai, however, said that China has made it clear that it will not take any sides in the Nepal-India border row.

Nepal's Prime Minister, KP Sharma Oli, has raised a strong objection to the recent agreement between India and China to resume trade through the Lipu Lekh Pass, a disputed territory claimed by Nepal.

PM Oli who is in China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2025, as well as activities to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War, met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Saturday, where he emphasized that the Lipu Lekh Pass is part of Nepalese territory.

A statement from Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs outlined Oli's position: "Referring to the recent understanding reached between India and China on border trade through Lipu Lekh Pass, the Rt. Hon Prime Minister stated that the territory belongs to Nepal and that the Government of Nepal has lodged a strong objection."

This issue stems from the agreement signed on August 19 during the visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to India. Both countries agreed to resume trade from Lipu Lekh, a site that remains disputed between Nepal and India. Following the agreement, Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs immediately issued diplomatic notes to both nations, expressing its objections.

In 2020, Nepal published a new political map incorporating Kalapani, Lipu Lekh, and Limiyadhura as part of its territory.

It remains unclear how the Chinese side has responded to Prime Minister Oli's statement. Prior to his departure to China for the SCO summit, PM Oli had confirmed that he would raise the Lipu Lekh issue with both India and China. It is unclear yet whether Oli and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet on the sidelines of SCO meeting.

In the bilateral meeting, Nepal PM expressed the hope that projects listed under the Belt and Road Initiatives (BRI) would be advanced, adding that Nepal seeks Chinese support in the areas of fertilizer, petroleum exploration, human resource development, climate resilience and other areas.

Speaking highly of the China-Nepal good-neighborly friendship in the past seven decades, Xi said that the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation between the two countries is advancing steadily at present, according to China. China is willing to work with Nepal to carry forward the traditional friendship and facilitate the greater progress of the China-Nepal Strategic Partnership of Cooperation Featuring Ever-lasting Friendship for Development and Prosperity, Xi noted.

Joint efforts should be made to enhance connectivity programs covering port, highway, power grid, aviation, communications and other fields, and cooperation in sectors including industry, agriculture and animal husbandry, new energy, environmental protection, oil and gas, artificial intelligence, education, health, as well as law enforcement and security, should be advanced, he added.

According to Chinese official media, Oli said that Nepal supports the China-proposed Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative and Global Civilization Initiative, and expects China to play a greater role in international affairs.

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli held a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Tianjin on Saturday, marking a significant step in strengthening Nepal-China relations. The meeting took place at the Tianjin State Guest House on the sidelines of the 25th Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit.

During his official visit to China, which will continue until September 3, Prime Minister Oli is set to address the SCO Plus Summit on September 1 and participate in events commemorating the 80th anniversary of China’s victory in the War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression on September 3. The visit also includes planned meetings with other world leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and Vietnamese Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chinh.

The discussions between Prime Minister Oli and President Xi focused on deepening bilateral cooperation, particularly in trade, infrastructure development, and regional connectivity. Both leaders also reviewed the implementation of agreements from previous high-level visits and explored opportunities for further collaboration within the SCO framework.

 

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has departed for China on an official visit on Saturday morning. 

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli is paying a visit to the People's Republic of China from August 30 to September 3, at the cordial invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping.

The Prime Minister has been invited to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit 2025 and the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the Victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.  

The Prime Minister is accompanied by his spouse Radhika Shakya.     

During the visit, Prime Minister Oli is scheduled to meet with President Xi in Tianjin. He will also address the SCO Plus Summit in Tianjin on September 1. On the sidelines of SCO Summit, the Prime Minister will meet some world leaders attending the Summit. (RSS)