KATHMANDU: A Chinese team endeavoring to scale the Mt Everest by fixing rope has failed to reach to the summit.

It was earlier reported that the Chinese climbers had reached the Camp III in a bid to prepare a route to the summit from the northern side.

Chinese rope fixers led by Ci Luo comprising Xiaolin Xin, Ru Zhigang, Liu Ping, Cao Ting Ting and Ma Ying are in the team to fix the rope.

The Chinese team had planned to reach the summit by fixing ropes above 8,300 m on Tuesday, which, however, is said to have failed.

Meanwhile, approximately 50 Chinese comprising surveyors and others were said to have been waiting at the base camp — to climb the peak — for the rope fixers to accomplish the task.

Sources also said six members of the Chinese survey team returned from Camp I.

China has given permission to its nationals to climb the Mt Everest from the Tibet side in the spring season amid coronavirus pandemic.

At a time when Nepal is combating the COVID-19, and has suspended all tourism-related activities, including in Sagarmatha, China is busy measuring the height of Mt Everest and establishing 5G network on it.

This has raised serious questions over China’s intention.

Observers have to say that China intends to capture Mt Everest by establishing 5G network and by measuring its height from the northern side. “And if this happens in the pretext of measuring the height, it will have a huge adverse impact on Nepal’s economy,” a tourism entrepreneur said.

Nepal has, meanwhile, suspended the permits for mountaineering expeditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.