PM Oli Leaves for China to Attend SCO Summit, Bilateral Talks with Xi Jinping and Putin Confirmed

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli left for China today on a five-day official visit, scheduled from August 30 to September 3. Oli is leading a Nepali delegation that departed from Tribhuvan International Airport. During the summit, the prime minister will join world leaders in discussions on regional cooperation, security, and economic partnerships.

While speaking in the House of Representatives on Friday, Oli outlined his bilateral engagements during the summit. He confirmed meetings with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and several other heads of state, including leaders of the Maldives, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.

However, Oli did not mention any scheduled meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This has drawn public curiosity, especially in light of the recent India-China agreement on reopening a trade route through Lipulekh Pass a territory Nepal has long claimed as its own.

The government of Nepal has consistently maintained that Lipulekh, along with Limpiyadhura and Kalapani, lies within its official boundary as defined by the Constitution. After the India-China agreement was signed in New Delhi on August 18, Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement on August 20, reaffirming that these territories east of the Mahakali River are an integral part of Nepal.

Whether Prime Minister Oli will raise the Lipulekh issue in his meetings with Chinese leaders remains uncertain, as he did not address the matter in his parliamentary statement. 

On September 3, Oli and the Nepali delegation will also participate in the 80th-anniversary event in China, commemorating the victory of the Chinese armed resistance against Japan during World War II.