Nepal raises territorial issue with India and China
Nepal has raised objections with neighbors India and China over their plans to conduct an annual pilgrimage that passes through high‑altitude Himalayan territory administered by New Delhi but claimed by Kathmandu.
On Sunday, Nepal’s Foreign Ministry sent diplomatic notes to India and China regarding the proposed Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage. The journey, a sacred route to Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar in Tibet, passes through Lipulekh, which Nepal claims as its territory.
The ministry said Nepal has consistently urged India to refrain from activities in the region, including road construction, expansion, border trade and pilgrimages. It added that China has also been officially informed that Lipulekh lies within Nepali territory.
The move came in response to India’s announcement that the 2026 Kailash Mansarovar Yatra will be conducted between June and August in coordination with Beijing. India and China agreed to restart the popular pilgrimage last year as part of a general warming in diplomatic and economic ties that had been strained after the 2020 border clash. The pilgrimage, initially stopped due to the Covid pandemic, was resumed in 2025.
India on Monday issued a statement reiterating its position. “Lipulekh Pass has been a long‑standing route for the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra since 1954. The yatra through this route has been going on for decades. This is not a new development,” the Ministry of External Affairs said. It added that India remains “open to a constructive interaction” with Nepal to resolve the territorial issue.
Our response to media queries regarding comments made by Foreign Ministry of Nepal on border issue in the context of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra ⬇️🔗 https://t.co/ouqMCjhwlbpic.twitter.com/hM7lJgh5Uc
— Randhir Jaiswal (@MEAIndia) May 3, 2026
Nepal has long protested Indian efforts to build connectivity and conduct land trade with China through the pass, while New Delhi has repeatedly rejected Kathmandu’s claim over the territory.
In August 2025, Nepal reiterated its claim to the pass after India and China announced the resumption of trade through it. New Delhi maintains that trade with Beijing via Lipulekh began in 1954 and continued until 1962, when the two nations fought a war, and that it resumed in 1992 after an almost three‑decade pause.
