Kathmandu Mayor Balendra Shah on Thursday cancelled his upcoming China visit citing the failure of the 2023 edition of China’s standard map to acknowledge the new map of Nepal.

“I have considered the step by China to show Nepali territory as that of India as wrong,” said Shah on his social media accounts. “So, I have decided not to embark on a five-day visit at China's invitation on moral grounds.”

The map released by China on Monday night includes India’s Arunachal Pradesh and the disputed Aksai Chin area in its territory. The map also shows the territories bordering China, but the pointed spur of the Nepal map is notably absent.

The new political map of Nepal was unveiled by the KP Oli government on May 20, 2020 and unanimously endorsed by the federal Parliament on June 13 the same year.

After India unilaterally released a new political map in November 2019 by incorporating Kalapani, Lipulekh, and Limpiyadhura areas, which are claimed by Nepal, and refused to entertain Nepal’s concerns over the map, the Oli government, in a tit-for-tat move, unveiled the new map of Nepal in May 2020 by incorporating the three areas. This added a pointed spur on the northwest corner of the Nepal map.