His Excellency Xi Jinping
President of People’s Republic of China,
Through the Embassy of Republic of China,
Kathmandu
Your Excellency,
Nepal and China are close neighbours enjoying longstanding friendship free of any outstanding problem in bilateral relationship. The Nepalese people and our Party- Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) – have high regard for China and the Chinese people because China has always respected Nepal’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We highly value the relationship with China and the Communist Party of China. We are confident that our relations will continue to grow in future.
We also would like to thank you for all the support China has extended to Nepal for rescue, relief and reconstruction after the recent devastating earthquake.
It is also a matter of satisfaction for our party and the Nepalese people to see our two great neighbours –China and India- coming closer and expanding cooperation in various fields. We appreciate the initiatives taken by both sides for close cooperation and enhanced bilateral trade. We believe that Nepal stands to gain from rapidly transforming economic landscape in our neighbourhood.
Against this backdrop, an issue has recently surfaced, however. This pertains to Lipulekh. Our attention has been drawn to a provision of the recently concluded agreement between India and China on expanding trade and cooperation during the visit of the Prime Minister of India to China. We believe that the paragraph 28 of the Joint Statement between India and China incorporating Lipulekh as bilateral trade route between the two countries runs against the provisions of the Treaty Sugauli, 1816,between Nepal and India, which clearly states that the territories east of Kali River belong to Nepal. Your Excellency is aware that Kalapani, of which Lipulekh is a part, is a sensitive issue closely linked to sovereignty and territorial integrity of Nepal and must, therefore, be respected by all as such.
Our Party, UCPN (Maoist), therefore, requests the Government of China to take necessary diplomatic initiative to address this genuine concern of the Nepalese people by making appropriate correction in the above mentioned agreement. This will be in consonance with China’s continued and firm commitment to respect sovereignty and territorial integrity of Nepal and the feelings of her sovereign people. It will also be in the best interest of our two countries and peoples.
Yours sincerely,
…………………………
Pushpa Kamal Dahal “Prachanda”
Chairman
Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist)