(TibetanReview.net, Sep07’25) – China has told Nepal that it respects the latter’s claim over Lipulekh pass but refused to get involved when the issue was raised by visiting Prime Minister KPS Oli. Oli visited China for the Aug 31-Sep 1 Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin and the Sep 3 Victory Day Parade in Beijing. He reportedly questioned President Xi Jinping over the Aug 19 agreement between China and India to reopen border trade at the Lipulekh Pass.
The Lipulekh Pass is located in the Indian state of Uttarakhand and borders Chinese occupied Tibet and Nepal. However, Nepal claims that the pass belongs to it.
Earlier, on Aug 19, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval for the 24th Round of Talks Between the Special Representatives of China and India on the Boundary Question in New Delhi. Following it, the two countries agreed to reopen border trade at three points: Lipulekh, Shipki-la and Nathu-la.
Following it, Nepal sent protest notes to China and India.
China has now told Nepal that the Lipulekh dispute is a bilateral matter between India and Nepal, and urged Kathmandu to resolve the issue directly with New Delhi.
This followed a meeting between Oli and Xi on Aug 30, during which the former asserted that Lipulekh falls within Nepal’s territory, thereby raising opposition to the agreement.
Prime Minister Oli’s objections were explicitly conveyed to President Xi, thestatesman.com Sep 6 cited Nepal’s Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai as saying.
As per Nepal’s stance, the dispute traces back to the Sugauli Treaty of 1816, which states that all territories east of the Mahakali River belong to Nepal. The disagreement over Lipulekh arises from differing interpretations of the river’s origin: historical maps identify Limpiyadhura as the source, while India recognises a smaller stream at Kalapani, further downstream, the report noted.
The report cited Nepalese media as reporting President Xi told Oli that China does not object to Nepal’s claim over Lipulekh but urged it to resolve the matter directly with India.
Earlier, on Aug 20, India dismissed Nepal’s objections, saying Kathmandu’s claims lacked support from “historical facts.”
“Our position in this regard has been consistent and clear. Border trade between India and China through Lipulekh Pass had commenced in 1954 and has been going on for decades. This trade had been disrupted in recent years due to COVID and other developments, and both sides have now agreed to resume it,” the report quoted Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, as having said at that time.
Even during the British era, Lipulekh Pass was a major center for trade and pilgrimage. In 1991, India and China made it a formal trade route, noted bhaskarenglish.in Sep 6.