Chinese leader refers to Mount Everest as 'Chomolungma' at Nepal forum, raising eyebrows

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.