India-China border trade through the Lipulekh Pass in Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district is set to resume this June after a six-year hiatus since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and border skirmishes with the northern neighbour, a PTI report said.
This comes after the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) issued a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for trade through the Himalayan Pass this year, according to a report.
Pithoragarh District Magistrate Ashish Bhatgai told the agency that after the Centre’s nod, preparations have begun for the business session, which usually runs from June to September.
The Pithoragarh-based Simant Vyapar Sangathan welcomed the decision, the report added. President Jeevan Singh Ronkali said the resumption will allow traders to retrieve goods stored in warehouses in Tibet’s Taklakot since the suspension in 2019.
- Bhatgai added that contact details of local officials will also be shared with their Chinese counterparts to ensure better coordination between the authorities of the two countries.
- Further, to facilitate smooth trade, the customs department and Dharchula administration have prepared a detailed action plan for issuing trade passports and designated banks for currency exchange.
- The deal also includes banking services, communications, medical facilities and security for traders and transit camps, he added.
About the Lipulekh Pass: History and Significance
Trade through the historic Lipulekh Pass, located at an altitude of 17,000 feet in the Chand Valley of Pithoragarh district, had also previously been suspended for decades following the 1962 India-China War; and restored in 1992.
The pass connecting India’s Uttarakhand state with China’s Tibet Autonomous Region has long been at the center of a three-way dispute. While India claims trade through the pass has been going on since 1954, Nepal claims that the area, along with Kalapani and Limpiyadhura, lies within its territory.
Nepal has consistently objected to trade deals between India and China over the Lipulekh Pass and lodged a diplomatic protest in 2015 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Beijing and both sides agreed to expand trade through the route. Tensions escalated in 2020 after India inaugurated a new road link to Kailash Mansarovar.
Meanwhile, Beijing’s position on the Lipulekh issue has generally aligned with India’s, especially after the release of its official 2023 map that placed the disputed area within Indian territory.
