It came as a rude awakening for Nepal late last month. As China’s new “standard map” failed to recognise Nepal’s new map, Kathmandu scrambled to react.
Laying claim to a swath of land in the northwestern region, which India has long claimed as its own, Nepal in May 2020 published a new map, adding a distinct pointed shape to its old map. China’s refusal to recognise that pointed area was perceived as Beijing’s acknowledgement that the territory is part of India, which has objected to the 2023 version of the Chinese map. New Delhi was quick to register a strong protest. Other countries like the Philippines, Malaysia, and Vietnam, among others, followed suit. They categorically rejected the new map.
On September 1, Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement urging “neighbours and the international community” to respect its new map. It stopped short of lodging any objection.
