KATHMANDU – Chinese activity has increased in Mustang amid rumors that uranium deposits in the Himalayan region, including Mustang, could be handed over to the United States for extraction.
A delegation from the Chinese Embassy in Kathmandu, led by Economic Counselor Zhu Feng, has reached Mustang.
The Chinese team held talks on Saturday with Mustang’s Chief District Officer (CDO), Ajita Tiwari, and on Sunday conducted visits to various areas.
CDO Tiwari said the meeting with the Chinese delegation was a routine courtesy call conducted with the approval of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She declined to disclose further details of the discussion.
Attempts to obtain a response from the Chinese Embassy on the matter were unsuccessful.
Meanwhile, a report published by Indian media outlet Navbharat Times stated that the sudden visit of U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Sameer Pal Kapoor to Nepal has added momentum to uranium-related rumors. The issue has also been widely discussed on social media in Nepal, although no official decision has been made public.
The report also claimed that preparations are underway to declare around 30 square kilometers of the Lomanthang area in Mustang as a “Mustang Special Zone.”
Amid such speculation, the Chinese delegation has also visited the trans-Himalayan districts of Mustang and Manang.
