Kathmandu: Nepal has objected to the 2023 edition of the standard map of China released on August 28. The new map shows India’s Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin area inside the Chinese territory while omitting the pointed part of Nepal map, called Chuche Naksa in Nepali parlance that includes Lipulekh, Kalapani and Limpiyadhura areas as parts of the Nepali territory.
On Friday, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nepal, in response to the question related to the Chinese map asked the northern neighbor not to disrespect the Nepali map. “Nepal stands firm and clear on its political and administrative map unanimously approved by the Parliament of Nepal in 2020,” the Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Sewa Lamsal said. “The Government of Nepal unequivocally believes that this map must be respected by our neighbors as well as the international community.” Nepal has also reiterated that Nepal is committed to resolving the boundary matters through dialogues and diplomacy.
Earlier on Thursday, the Mayor of Kathmandu Metropolitan City Balen Shah objected to the map and declared that his five-day China trip has been cancelled owing to the same reason. On May 20, 2020, Nepal published a new pointed map by incorporating the territories of Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani in it. China’s map does not show these territories as our own, wrote Shah on his social media post. We have considered this move of China to show Nepali territories as India’s as a wrong move on our sensitivity, he further said. “Thus, I have decided not to go on a trip to China on moral grounds.”
Pressures are mounting on the government to raise the matter with China during Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal’s upcoming visit to Beijing later this month. Political leaders, from ruling as well as opposition parties, have objected to the new Chinese map for not showing Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura and Kalapani areas as parts of Nepali territory.
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