
Chinese leader refers to Mount Everest as ‘Chomolungma' at Nepal forum, raising eyebrows
China's Standing Committee Vice Chairman Xiao Jie standing left to Nepal's PM KP Sharma Oli (Image Credit: Oli's X account)
China's Standing Committee Vice Chairman Xiao Jie referred the
Mount Everest
as "
Chomolungma
," the Chinese name in one of the events in Nepal.
During his presentation at the
Sagarmatha Sambaad
's opening session, Xiao Jie exclusively used the Chinese designation, while other participants referred to the peak using its English and Nepali names, ANI news agency reported.
The event itself bears the name "Sagarmatha Sambaad," with Sambaad being the Nepali word for conversation.
As the keynote speaker at the three-day event's opening, Xiao Jie delivered his speech in Chinese with translation support. Throughout his 20-minute address, he used "Chomolungma" ten times, disregarding the event's official title.
A foreign minister official, speaking anonymously to ANI, acknowledged awareness of this but expressed inability to intervene.
The Chinese official's use of the Sino name occurred in the presence of
Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli
, foreign minister Arzu Rana Deuba, finance minister Bishnu Paudel, and over 200 international participants.
Prime Minister Oli had previously advocated for using "Sagarmatha" as the peak's official name. However, he remained silent about the Chinese dignitary's choice of terminology at Friday's event.
The Kathmandu event attracted delegations from various nations including Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, the United Kingdom, the UAE, Japan, India, Qatar, Kyrgyzstan, Brazil, Egypt, Oman, and Pakistan. Representatives from international organisations such as the UN, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, SAARC, BIMSTEC, and ICIMOD also participated.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Hindustan Times
21 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Priyanka Chaturvedi slams Pak's UN role: 'Like making Masood Azhar peace professor'
Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi on Saturday slammed the United Nations Security Council for appointing Pakistan as the vice-chair of the anti-terror panel, saying that 52 designated terrorists reside in Pakistan. Priyanka Chaturvedi said India is a tolerant nation but also a land of Krishna, where is fought. 'Pakistan has become a part of the UN Security Council. You all are aware that 52 terrorists reside in Pakistan. But they have been given the vice chairmanship of counter-terrorism,' Chaturvedi said in Berlin, according to ANI. "It is just like saying Masood Azhar to be the professor of global needs to be called out. The whole world is suffering due to this..." she added. 'We are often told that India is a tolerant nation, yes, India is a tolerant nation. We are a land of Mahatma and Buddha, but we are also the land of Krishna. Whenever there is injustice and we have to fight with the terrorists to serve justice, we will do that without any hesitation...' Chaturvedi was quoted as saying by ANI. Also Read | 'Defence may be the wrong word': Shashi Tharoor points at 'China factor' in Pakistan conflict Pakistan, a non-permanent member of the Security Council for the 2025-26 term, will chair the Council's Taliban Sanctions Committee for 2025 and will be vice-chair of the Counter-Terrorism Committee of the 15-nation UN organ. The Shiv Sena (UBT) MP is part of an all-party delegation to Europe to brief key interlocutors about the threat of Pakistan-backed terrorism faced by India and India's strong resolve against terrorism. Also Read | Pakistan handicapped without China's support: Asaduddin Owaisi The delegation arrived in Germany after concluding their visit to Belgium to convey India's resolute and united stand against terrorism. The delegation is led by Ravi Shankar Prasad and includes BJP MPs Daggubati Purandeswari and Samik Bhattacharya, Congress MP Amar Singh and Gulam Ali Khatana, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, AIADMK MP M Thambidurai, former Union Minister MJ Akbar and former diplomat Pankaj Saran.


India.com
27 minutes ago
- India.com
Pak Generals Want Conflict To Remain Relevant: Ravi Shankar In Germany
BJP MP and leader of the all-party delegation Ravi Shankar Prasad on Saturday launched a scathing attack on Pakistan's military establishment for supporting terrorism, saying that its Generals want conflicts to remain relevant and use terrorists as a tool to destabilise India. Addressing a community event with the Indian diaspora in Berlin, Prasad pointed out that while both India and Pakistan were born on the same day, the former has made remarkable progress in IT and space, in contrast to Islamabad. "India and Pakistan were born the same day. Where are we in India, and where are they (Pakistan)? India has become a major global IT power in the world. India has become an emerging space power in the world. The startup movements here are now globally recognised. India has also become the second biggest mobile phone manufacturer in the world. We have brought digital transformation with equity and justice," ANI quoted Prasad as saying. Prasad claimed that Pakistan only knows how to prepare world-class terrorists under its military leadership. He said that wherever there is a terrorist, he is either a Pakistani or trained in Pakistan. "What Pakistan is doing is creating terror machines. How to create world-class terrorists under their (military) Generals. They attacked us four times and lost every time. We never attacked; they were the ones who always started the war. It is because they are under the control of Generals and not political leaders. Generals want conflict to keep themselves relevant, and terrorists are the instruments through which they execute. Wherever there is a terrorist, either he is a Pakistani or trained in Pakistan," he added. Prasad also spoke about the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack and India's decisive response through Operation Sindoor on May 7, noting that Operation Sindoor remains paused but ready to resume based on Pakistan's actions. "Pahalgam attack happened on April 22. We attacked on May 7 and hit the terrorist camps. If Pakistan has to talk, it must directly speak to us. Our message was stern and straight: If you stop, we stop. If you fire, we will give a stronger reply. Operation Sindoor is on pause, subject to the good behaviour of Pakistan. It has not ended," he stated. An all-party delegation, led by Ravi Shankar Prasad, is currently visiting Germany as part of the Indian government's initiative to engage with key partner nations, including members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to convey India's resolute and united stand against terrorism. This initiative follows the tragic April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, where 26 innocent civilians lost their lives to gunfire from terrorists. The Delegation includes BJP MPs Daggubati Purandeswari and Samik Bhattacharya, Congress MP Amar Singh and Gulam Ali Khatana, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, AIADMK MP M Thambidurai, former Union Minister MJ Akbar and former diplomat Pankaj Saran. The delegation arrived in Germany after concluding their visit to Belgium to convey India's resolute and united stand against terrorism.


India Today
40 minutes ago
- India Today
Global leaders convene in France to boost coastal disaster resilience
The seventh International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (ICDRI) opened in France's Nice on Saturday, gathering over 350 delegates from governments, UN agencies and development banks to focus on building disaster-resilient infrastructure for coastal regions and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).With 37 per cent of the world's population living within 100 km of the coast and 90 per cent of global goods transported by sea, the stakes are high. Coastal economies contribute USD 1.5 trillion annually to global GDP, a figure expected to double by year's ICDRI, themed 'shaping a resilient future for coastal regions', is the first to be held in Europe and is co-hosted by the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and the French government. The conference zeroes in on three pillars: improving access to finance, leveraging data and technology for early warning systems, and strengthening codes and standards for infrastructure resilience. In his virtual address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed the urgency of global action, noting the heightened risks faced by coastal and island communities due to disasters and climate change. "Let us build infrastructure that stands firm against time and tide, creating a stronger, more resilient future for all," he Modi also outlined five global priorities, including workforce skills, innovative financing and a digital repository for best from SIDS echoed the call for urgent support. Guyana's President Mohamed Irfaan Ali described climate-resilient infrastructure as "a question of survival", while Nauru's President David Adeang called for moving "from dialogue to delivery" to ensure no nation is left and Barbuda's Prime Minister Gaston Browne and Haiti's Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aime both emphasised that resilience is a necessity, not a luxury and a moral imperative for global Director General Amit Prothi highlighted the IRIS programme, which is supporting 24 projects across 25 SIDS, and announced new research grants for 53 projects in 21 countries. The conference also reaffirmed the coalition's commitment to advancing climate and disaster resilience across Africa and issued a call to action for accelerating investment in small island climate risks intensify, ICDRI 2025 aims to transform global dialogue into concrete action, ensuring that vulnerable coastal communities are equipped for a safer and more sustainable future. IN THIS STORY#Narendra Modi