Nepal rejects China’s new map; urges countries to respect its latest map
Kathmandu, September 1
Nepal on Friday asked the international community to honour the political map endorsed by its Parliament three years ago as it rejected China’s new national map that shows territories the Himalayan nation considers its own as part of India.
China on Monday released a new map in which the Limpiyadhura, Kalapani and Lipulekh areas -that Nepal considers its territories- were shown as part of India.
Responding to media queries regarding China’s new standard map, Nepal’s Foreign Ministry reiterated its position regarding the political map that the Parliament endorsed in 2020.
“Nepal stands firm and clear on its political and administrative map unanimously approved by the Parliament of Nepal in 2020,” the Foreign Minister said in a statement issued on Friday.
“The government unequivocally believes that this map must be respected by our neighbours as well as the international community,” it said, adding that Nepal remains committed to resolving the boundary matters through dialogues and diplomacy.
Nepal Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda” will also take up the matter pertaining to the country’s newly issued map during his upcoming visit to China, a senior leader of the ruling coalition partner CPN- Maoist Centre said on Friday.
Speaking to reporters, CPN-Maoist Centre spokesperson Agni Sapkota said that the matter relating to the map issued by China this week needs to be raised through diplomatic channels during the visit.
Prime Minister Prachanda will be leaving Kathmandu on September 15 for a visit to the US, and later to China.
“Prime Minister and party chairman Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda will discuss the matter with the Chinese leadership during his upcoming visit to China. The matter relating to the map issued by China needs to be raised through diplomatic channels during the visit,” Sapkota said.
Kathmandu published a new political map in 2020 that showed three Indian territories — Limpiyadhura, Kalapani and Lipulekh — as part of Nepal.
In the same year, then-president Bidya Devi Bhandari signed a Constitution amendment bill to update the country’s new political map, which incorporated three strategically important Indian areas, hours after the Parliament approved it.
India reacted sharply, calling it a “unilateral act” and cautioned Kathmandu that such “artificial enlargement” of territorial claims would not be acceptable to it.
Several nations, including India, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Taiwan, rejected the new edition of China’s national map.
India lodged a strong protest with China over its so-called “standard map” laying claim over Arunachal Pradesh and the Aksai Chin, and asserted that such steps only complicate the resolution of the boundary question.
The External Affairs Ministry in New Delhi also rejected China’s claims as having “no basis”.
