1: Nepal’s on August 20 issued a statement objecting to the resumption of border trade with China, which came as China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi visited India.
2: Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs India-China trade border trade has been ongoing since 1954.
On Wednesday, India dismissed Nepal’s objection to the reopening of India-China border trade through the Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand, stressing that Kathmandu’s claims do not rest on “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,” said Randhir Jaiswal, Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs.
Responding to questions on territorial disputes, he added, “As regards territorial claims, our position remains that such claims are neither justified nor based on historical facts and evidence. Any unilateral artificial enlargement of territorial claims is untenable.” He further underlined, “India remains open to constructive interaction with Nepal on resolving agreed outstanding boundary issues through dialogue and diplomacy.”
Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs earlier on August 20 issued a statement objecting to the resumption of border trade with China, which was announced during the visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to India on Tuesday (August 19, 2025). The development comes soon after Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s trip to Kathmandu (August 17–18, 2025), where he extended an invitation to Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli to visit India in September.
“The Nepalese government is clear that the official map of Nepal has been included in the constitution of Nepal and that the map shows Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani east of the Mahakali River as integral parts of Nepal,” read the MoFA statement.
India’s decision to restart trade with China covers three border routes: Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand, Shipki La in Himachal Pradesh, and Nathu La in Sikkim.
