Why is Nepal interfering in India-China relations? Oli expressed his objection to this matter to Xi Jinping but he did not pay heed

News Topical, Digital Desk : Nepal Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli on Saturday raised objections to the agreement between India and China to use Lipulekh as a trade route during a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Tianjin, his secretariat said.

Nepal claims Lipulekh as its territory, which India categorically rejects, saying it is "neither justified nor based on historical facts and evidence."

What did Oli say to Xi Jinping?

"On this occasion, Prime Minister Oli clearly expressed his objection to the agreement between India and China to use Nepali territory Lipulekh as a trade route," the Prime Minister's Secretariat said in a statement, citing Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai. "Nepal believes that China will cooperate with Nepal in this regard," the statement quoted the prime minister as saying.

Prime Minister Oli's secretariat said the two leaders also agreed to strengthen bilateral relations and cooperation.

A press release issued by the Nepal Embassy in China said that Prime Minister Oli "expressed hope to expedite the implementation of previously agreed projects (including BRI). He requested support in sectors such as fertilizer, petroleum, exploration, human resources, development, tackling climate change and people-to-people contacts."

China maintained silence

However, China remained silent on Nepali Prime Minister Oli's controversial objections. An official statement issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry did not mention the issue. Meanwhile, the Chinese Foreign Ministry statement said that Xi pointed out in his talks with Oli that China-Nepal cooperation on the high-quality Belt and Road Initiative is steadily progressing and the two countries are getting closer to each other.

Xi stressed that the two sides should enhance strategic mutual trust and firmly support each other on issues concerning each other's core interests and major concerns, the statement said. They should promote cooperation in industry, agriculture and animal husbandry, new energy, environmental protection, oil and gas, artificial intelligence, education, health, law enforcement and security, he said.

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