Nepalis slam China on state-run CGTN's tweet showing Mt. Everest on their side

Following the post, netizens criticised the media outlet over the remark and even a hashtag #backoffchina started trending online.

Demanding a clarification from Chinese Envoy to Nepal, one netizen,whose Twitter handle is named as @coronanpl, said: "Dear @PRCAmbNepal don't you think this is fair?we want clarification. #backoffchina."

Anup Kaphle, Executive Editor of Rest of the World and former Editor-in-Chief of The Kathmandu Post tweeted: "'the world’s highest peak located in China’s Tibet...'Really bummed we’ve been taught to believe Everest is in Nepal all these years. Thanks, GTN https://twitter.com/cgtnofficial/status/1256548993447886848."

Political analyst from Kathmandu Lekhnath Pandey said, "Now, it's China's turn? As if Mount #Everest, aka #Sagarmatha in #Nepal, is solely of #China in TAR! https://twitter.com/cgtnofficial/status/1256548993447886848."

The post was made on May 2.

The CGTN’s tweet comes at a time when China has sent a team of surveyors and scientists to Mt Everest to measure the peak amid an ongoing ban on climbing the summit because of the coronavirus pandemic, reports Kahabar Hub.

The new measurement of the mountain, China claims, is aimed at resolving the question of whether the world’s highest peak had lost its height in the 2015 devastating earthquake that ravaged Nepal, reported the Nepali news portal.

Speaking on Chinese activies, The Himayan Times reported China Mobile and Huawei have jointly taken 5G connectivity to a new height by bringing the network to the summit of Everest upon the completion of the establishment of the world’s highest 5G base station at an altitude of 6,500 metres above sea level in the Chinese side of the mountain.

Meanwhile, speaking to ANI about the CGTN tweet, Professor of Chinese studies at Jawahar Lal Nehru University, Srikant Kondapali, said, "It is a not a new thing, China is trying to consolidate its claims on Tibet and Everest."

"The Everest on the Tibet side is treacherous and very less used by the Chinese side, there is no trace of tourism from that side, as it is very steep and also visa is an issue," Srikant added. The experts are more concerned about the installation of 5G network at Everest," Srikant Kondapali said.

"However, now they have mounted 5G at their side of the Everest, it is a controversial move as they can beam through the Himalayan range, there is a military component in 5G network, it is mounted 8000 metres above the sea level. They can snoop in India, Bangladesh, Myanmar, post-Dalai Lama they will have leverage with this technology at the Himalayas," he said.