Four days after China released its new "standard map", the government of Nepal said on Friday that it is firm on the political and administrative map passed by Parliament in 2020.

Issuing a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: "Nepal stands firm and clear on its political and administrative map unanimously approved by the Parliament of Nepal in 2020".

In response to the media queries regarding the “2023 edition of the standard map of China” released on 28 August 2023, the spokesperson for the foreign ministry issued a clarification amid growing calls from different sections to take up the matter with China.

The government of Nepal unequivocally believes that this map must be respected by our neighbours as well as the international community, said the statement without naming China.

The response came after China’s Ministry of Natural Resources on Monday released a map that showed the old map of Nepal in use before May 2020. After the escalation of the boundary dispute caused by India’s new map in 2019 that showed Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura within its borders, the KP Sharma Oli government in May 2020 released a new map incorporating the regions occupied by India as part of Nepal. Despite Nepal’s diplomatic communication with China to use the new map in official communication and purposes, Beijing’s latest move has courted controversy.

The statement says Nepal remains committed to resolving the boundary matters through dialogue and diplomacy.

On Friday afternoon, Dahal's party said the map issue would be raised during the prime minister's visit to China.

According to the party leaders, a high-level CPN-UML delegation, which leaves for China on Saturday night, will also take up the matter with Chinese officials.

The new map will be discussed during the prime minister’s visit, said Agni Prasad Sapkota, a vice-chairman of the CPN (Maoist Centre). “China not incorporating the genuine map of Nepal will figure during the prime minister’s visit.”

“This is an important issue. Why there was a lapse and how the new map of Nepal was not incorporated should be taken up diplomatically. We learned that the previous government had communicated with China after issuing the map,” Sapkota said.

Political leaders have expressed their concerns over why China snubbed the new map of Nepal. The government should inquire and communicate the findings to the Nepali people, they have demanded.

India, the Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam have officially protested the new Chinese map contesting the territories put under it.

The new map of Nepal unveiled in May 2020 by incorporating the three areas added a pointed spur on the northwest corner.

Diplomatic talks are necessary to understand why the new map was not used, said Sapkota.

On Friday morning, Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Cheng Song held talks with Prime Minister Dahal but it is unknown whether the map issue was discussed.

The Chinese ambassador had inquired about the visit preparations and what agendas Nepal would raise in China. He urged the prime minister to finalise the visit agenda without delay, said Ramesh Malla, Dahal’s aide.

If the Nepali side exchanged the visit agenda on time, it would be easy for the Chinese to finalise theirs for the signing of deals, said Malla, quoting the Chinese ambassador on their concerns.

The prime minister later instructed Foreign Minister NP Saud and other ministers and secretaries to agree soon on the agenda to be taken up in China. The prime minister is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and other leaders after attending the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou.

Haribol Gajurel, chief political adviser to Dahal, in his brief remarks to the Post, said there was no reason for worry as the prime minister would take up the issue in Beijing.

The UML delegation, led by the party’s general secretary Shankar Pokhrel, would also take up the matter with Chinese officials. “We will definitely raise the issue and tell the Chinese leaders and officials to use the new one,” said Rajan Bhattarai, head of UML’s foreign relations department. “But the government's job is to write to China and ask why they did not use the new map.”