Chinese delegation refers to Everest as ‘Chomolungma’ during Sagarmatha Sambaad

KATHMANDU: The vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the People’s Republic of China, Xiao Jie, referred to Mount Everest by its Sino name, ‘Chomolungma’, while addressing the inaugural session of Nepal’s flagship event, the Sagarmatha Sambaad.

Only Xiao Jie used the Chinese name for the Everest, while the rest of the attendees used the English and Nepali names for the event. Nepal had entitled the event with the highest peak in the world, Sagarmatha or Mount Everest, as ‘Sagarmatha Sambaad’, where Sambaad means ‘conversation’ in Nepali.

Xiao Jie was invited as the keynote speaker for the inaugural session of the three-day event. He delivered his remarks in Chinese, which were translated by a translator. While Jie stood at the stage for about 20 minutes during the inauguration session, he pronounced ‘Chomolungma’ ten times instead of Sagarmatha which has been used as the title of the event.

The Rt.Hon. PM KP Sharma Oli officially inaugurated the ‘Sagarmatha Sambaad’ today —a high level forum aimed at raising global awareness about climate change and exploring sustainable solutions. The event, which is being attended by 175 foreign delegates, will run for three days. pic.twitter.com/ddqAsxyjR5

— PMO Nepal (@PM_nepal_) May 16, 2025

“We also noticed about it, but we are in no position to say anything about it”, an official from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, seeking anonymity.

While the Chinese dignitary used the Sino name for the world’s tallest peak and denying identity of the event’s title, Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli, Foreign Minister Arzu Rana Deuba, Finance Minister Bishnu Paudel were present in the hall. The event was also attended by over 200 participants, including dignitaries from various countries.

Notably, Prime Minister Oli recently, in a public event, announced that the world’s tallest peak should be branded as ‘Sagarmatha’, the Nepali name, rather than using alternative names. However, Oli stayed mum over the use of the word during the event on Friday.

The three-day event being held in Kathmandu is being attended by representatives from Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates, Japan, India, Qatar, Kyrgyzstan, Brazil, Egypt, Oman, and Pakistan were present in the national delegations. International and regional organisations include the United Nations, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, SAARC, BIMSTEC, and ICIMOD. (ANI)