Quoting Foreign Secretary, Prime Minister’s Secretariat says Oli raised objections with Xi regarding Lipulekh

KATHMANDU — Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli raised objections with Chinese President Xi Jinping regarding China’s agreement with India to use the Lipulek route for trade, according to the Prime Minister's Secretariat.

Quoting Foreign Secretary Amrit Rai, the Prime Minister's Private Secretariat said in a statement that during Prime Minister Oli's meeting with President Xi, Oli raised concerns about Lipulek.

The message sent by the Prime Minister's Private Secretariat states:
“During a cordial and bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, discussions were held on various areas of friendly relations and cooperation between the two countries, with both sides agreeing to advance cooperation. Regarding the issue of the Lipulek area being used as a trade route, Prime Minister Oli clearly expressed his objections to President Xi, according to Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai. According to the Sugauli Treaty of 1816, all territories east of the Mahakali River belong to the sovereign nation of Nepal. We trust that China will support Nepal in this matter.”

However, the Prime Minister’s Secretariat did not include any information on President Xi’s response to the objections raised by Oli.

A statement issued later on Saturday by the Embassy of Nepal in Beijing stated that Oli discussed Lipulek with Xi during the meeting.

“Referring to the recent understanding reached between India and China on border trade through the Lipulek Pass, Prime Minister Oli stated that the territory belongs to Nepal and that the Government of Nepal has registered its strong objection to the same,” the statement said.

The embassy’s statement, however, does not mention Xi’s response to this objection.

According to the Nepali embassy, President Xi expressed China’s willingness to support Nepal in fulfilling its aspiration of a “Prosperous Nepal, Happy Nepali.”

“He also stated that China will cooperate with Nepal in multilateral forums, including the United Nations and SCO. The President of China thanked Nepal for its strong adherence to the One China Principle and reiterated China’s continued support for Nepal’s development, including through the implementation of high-quality Belt and Road Initiative projects that have been agreed upon by both countries,” the statement said.

During the meeting, according to the embassy, Prime Minister Oli expressed hope for the acceleration of projects already agreed upon, including those under the BRI.

“He requested support in areas such as fertilizer, petroleum exploration, human resources development, climate resilience, and people-to-people connections,” the statement read.

Prime Minister Oli, who arrived in China on Saturday for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit, held a bilateral meeting with President Xi shortly after his arrival.

Recently, an agreement was reached between China and India regarding the operation of the Lipulek pass, which has been met with widespread opposition in Nepal. Furthermore, Nepal has sent diplomatic notes to both India and China on this matter, according to officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, the Ministry has not officially commented on the issue.

The meeting between Prime Minister Oli, who is in China representing Nepal as a dialogue partner at the SCO summit, and Chinese President Xi took place shortly after the China-India agreement on the Lipulek trade route.

Last week, while providing information about Oli’s China visit, Communications Minister Prithvi Subba Gurung, who is also the government spokesperson, said that Oli would raise the Lipulek issue with both Chinese President Xi and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, Prime Minister Oli did not mention Lipulek on Friday when he briefed Parliament about his visit to China.

After meeting with Xi, the Prime Minister's account on X mentioned that there had been a cordial conversation and that both countries' mechanisms were encouraged to further cooperation.

The Prime Minister's personal X account said: "Glad to meet President Xi for the second consecutive year and hold fruitful bilateral talks. We reviewed progress on various issues and agreed upon enhancing bilateral cooperation. I thank President Xi for inviting me to the SCO Plus Summit.”

The Prime Minister’s X handle stated: "The bilateral discussion between the Rt Hon’ble Mr. KP Sharma Oli, Prime Minister of Nepal, and His Excellency Mr. Xi Jinping, the President of the People’s Republic of China, was held at Tianjin’s Guest House on August 30, 2025."

Similarly, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also released a statement on X, stating: "Rt. Hon. Prime Minister Mr. KP Sharma Oli held a bilateral meeting with H.E. Mr. Xi Jinping, President of the People’s Republic of China in Tianjin today."

“The two leaders discussed matters relating to further strengthening Nepal-China relations and advancing mutually beneficial cooperation,” it added.

Following the SCO summit, Prime Minister Oli will visit Beijing, where he is scheduled to participate in China’s Victory Day Parade. While in China, Prime Minister Oli is also scheduled to meet with other heads of state, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, as part of his official engagements.

(This story has been updated to include embassy comments.)