World’s largest hydroelectric dam in Tibet, China assures India
Last Updated on January 27, 2025 6:35 am
China has approved the construction of the world’s largest hydroelectric dam. Through this, Beijing is starting an ambitious project on the eastern side of the Tibetan Plateau that could have a huge impact on neighboring countries. However, China has assured India that it will not seek to benefit itself at the expense of its neighbors.
According to the plan, the dam will be built on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangpo River. According to the estimates given by the Power Construction Corporation of China in 2020, it is expected to generate 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity per year.
The Yarlung Zangpo River ends in Tibet and flows through Bangladesh, through Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, India, as the Brahmaputra River. There are concerns that the dam could affect the Brahmaputra River. The river is a source of water for millions of people.
Wang Lei, the charge d’affaires of the Chinese embassy in India, wrote an article in the Indian Express last week in an attempt to address these concerns. He wrote that critics of the project were wrongly labeling it a “Chinese weapon.”
He added, “China is committed to the policy of building friendship and partnership with its neighbors. Far from seeking its own benefits at the expense of its neighbors, China never seeks unilateral interests. China has never sought and will never seek ‘water dominance.’”
He wrote, “China has signed more than 50 water resources management agreements with neighboring countries and has established 10 transboundary institutions for cooperative river development and environmental protection.”
Wang further wrote that China adheres to a responsible attitude towards transboundary river development and follows the principle of balancing its use and protection.
He also wrote that China will release more information in due course as the project progresses.
China has already begun hydroelectric power generation upstream on the Yarlung Zangpo River, which flows from west to east in Tibet. It plans to build more projects upstream.