China encroaches into Nepal's land, erects nine buildings: Report

Amid escalating border tensions with India, China has reportedly encroached into Nepal's territory and erected nine buildings in the Lapcha-Limi region in Humla.

As per a report by The Economic Times, the encroachment came to light during an inspection of the remote Humla region from August 30 to September 9 by a local district officer.

The Chinese army and border police have occupied Nepalese territory at Namkha gaupalika (rural municipality), it said.

Lapcha-Limi a strategic place from where Kailash Mansarovar can be seen clearly and the Chinese move is part of its expansionist designs, sources from Kathmandu quoted in the report said.

District administration has informed the Nepal Ministry of Home Affairs and Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, neither Nepal's Home Ministry nor Foreign Ministry has issued a statement in this regard.

Earlier in June this year, reports had emerged that China occupied a village in Nepal and 10 other strategic areas.

To legitimise its annexation, China reportedly removed boundary pillars around Rui village situated in the northern Gorkha district. The village is said to have around 72 houses.

A report, prepared by Survey Department of Agriculture Ministry of Nepal, suggests China has encroached places which make up around 33 hectares of Nepal's land, by diverting the flow of rivers which act as a natural boundary.

As per a September 4 Reuters report, China is planning a more than 1 trillion yuan ($146 billion) push to accelerate infrastructure investment in Tibet, including new and previously announced projects.

Read: China planning building spree in Tibet as India tensions rise

The construction plans include completion of the challenging middle section of a high-elevation Sichuan-Tibet railway link, a railway line between Nepal and Tibet that has remained in the planning stages, and a newly planned dry port in the Tibet Autonomous Region.

During a senior Communist Party meeting on Tibet's future governance, President Xi Jinping had recently lauded achievements and praised frontline officials but said more efforts were needed to enrich, rejuvenate and strengthen unity in the region.