New Delhi: China's quest to expand its border with its neighbours is never ending. After its ongoing border rows with India and its claim over south China sea, Bhutan, and other neighbours, it is now trying to annex territories of Nepal. Now China has triggered a border row with Nepal by constructing 11 buildings in a part of the remote border district of Humla, reports in the Nepalese media say.
The border district of Humla is claimed by Nepal as its own territory. The construction of the buildings by the Chinese security and border forces have been reported to the Home Ministry of Nepal. Since Nepal built a road several years ago, a border pillar has been missing. There was only a hut in the area in 2005, according to officials who visited the disputed area recently. The Chinese side claimed that the area where the houses are built falls within their territory, according to Bishnu Bahadur Tamang, chair of the Namkha Rural Municipality.
The reports said that during an inspection led by a team headed by district officer Chirinjbi Giri last week, the Chinese officials claimed that their territory extended one kilometre further south from the area where the buildings are located.
After the Nepalese officials reached the site, the Chinese security personnel arrived and asked the Nepali officials to go to the border for talks. Tamang said that they spent around one and half hours. After we reached, a team of the Chinese Army and security officials came and said talks cannot be held on their territory. We claimed that the area to be ours, but they showed us the map and said that it is theirs. We left the place after that, Tamang said.
In 2015, both Nepal and China had agreed to ascertain the location of the missing pillar. However, no steps had been taken. According to Chakka Bahadur Lama, the pillar was damaged during the road construction on Nepali territory 12 years back. That area where the Chinese have built the concrete road buildings is an old yak caravan route which is used for trade between Nepal and Tibet. As long as both sides do not ascertain the location of the pillar, the dispute will continue, Lama also said.
In an email to The Post, Zhang Si, spokesperson of the Chinese embassy in Kathmandu said that the buildings that are mentioned by the media are on the Chinese side. Nepali side can check it again, he also said. China respects Nepal's sovereignty and any questions from the Nepalese side can be checked together, he also said.
