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Tianjin, Sept 1: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed to further support the recent India-China understanding on border trade.
They met in Tianjin on Sunday, days after special representatives of both countries agreed in New Delhi to reopen trade routes through three points, including Nepal-claimed Lipulekh.
“The leaders endorsed the decisions taken by their Special Representatives earlier this month and agreed to extend support to those efforts,” India’s Ministry of External Affairs said.
Nepal has strongly opposed the India-China agreement on Lipulekh. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement saying, “As per the Constitution of Nepal, Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh, and Kalapani east of Mahakali River are integral parts of Nepal. The government has consistently requested India to refrain from any activities like road construction or trade in the area. China has also been notified of Nepal’s claim.”
India rejected Nepal’s objection, reiterating its claim over Lipulekh.
During his meeting with Xi, PM Oli raised Nepal’s objection directly. Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai said, “PM Oli clearly expressed Nepal’s opposition to the India-China agreement on using Lipulekh for trade and explained Nepal’s claim based on the 1816 Sugauli Treaty.” Oli also asked for China’s cooperation on the matter.
The next day, Modi met Xi. The Indian side emphasized that both India and China should maintain strategic autonomy and avoid viewing their ties through a third-country perspective. They also discussed restoring the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage route via Lipulekh and easing visa and flight access. Both sides stressed reducing the trade deficit and expanding economic ties.

People’s News Monitoring Service