Which one of the following statements is not correct in respect of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)?

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was established in December 1985 with its first summit held in Dhaka, Bangladesh [3]. Its Secretariat and headquarters were subsequently established in Kathmandu, Nepal, on January 16, 1987 [1]. Nepal also successfully hosted the Eighteenth SAARC Summit in Kathmandu in November 2014 [2]. Regarding observer status, China is not the only country with this designation. SAARC currently has nine observers: Australia, China, the European Union, Iran, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mauritius, Myanmar, and the United States [1]. Therefore, the statement claiming China is the sole observer is incorrect. The association comprises eight member states, with Afghanistan being the latest to join during the 14th Summit [1].

Sources

1. [3] Contemporary World Politics, Textbook in political science for Class XII (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Contemporary South Asia > TIMELINE OF SOUTH ASIA SINCE 1947 > p. 32
2. [1] https://thedocs.worldbank.org/en/doc/536371557503447180-0090022019/render/SAARCOpportunitiesforRegionalCooperationandIntegrationinPublicProcurementApril22at1220pm.txt
3. [2] https://mofa.gov.np/pages/nepal-and-saarc-5/