NEW DELHI (Aug 21) – India on Wednesday rejected Nepal’s objection to the reopening of border trade with China through the Lipulekh Pass, saying Kathmandu’s claims over the area are “untenable” and not based on historical facts.
“We have noted the comments of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nepal related to the resumption of border trade between India and China through the Lipulekh Pass,” said Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs. “Our position in this regard has been consistent and clear. Border trade between India and China through Lipulekh pass commenced in 1954 and has been going on for decades.”
Jaiswal said trade at the pass had been disrupted in recent years due to Covid-19 and other developments, and that both India and China had now agreed to resume it. He dismissed Nepal’s territorial claims as unjustified, adding that India remains open to “constructive interaction” with Kathmandu on outstanding boundary issues through dialogue and diplomacy.
Nepal, however, reiterated that Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh, and Kalapani—east of the Mahakali River—are integral parts of its territory under the constitution and official map. The foreign ministry in Kathmandu urged both India and China not to carry out any activities in the disputed area without Nepal’s consent.
The controversy resurfaced after India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi agreed on Tuesday, during the 24th round of the Special Representatives’ dialogue in New Delhi, to reopen three traditional trade routes—Lipulekh, Shipki La, and Nathu La.
The dispute comes ahead of Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli’s visits to both China and India. Oli is scheduled to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin later this month and will travel to New Delhi on September 16, where pressure is mounting on him to raise the issue with both Beijing and New Delhi.
Nepal has repeatedly opposed bilateral India-China agreements on Lipulekh. In 2015, Kathmandu protested when the two sides agreed to use the pass for trade without Nepal’s consent. Similar objections were raised in 2020 after India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh inaugurated a road link to the pass.