Amid rising concerns from India and Bangladesh, China has defended the launch of construction work on a massive hydropower dam on the Brahmaputra River — known locally as the Yarlung Zangbo — in the ecologically fragile region of Tibet.
The project, which Chinese officials describe as a vital step toward meeting clean energy goals, has sparked alarm in downstream countries over its potential geopolitical and environmental consequences.
China’s Justification: Energy, Climate, and Regional Development
At a media briefing on Wednesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun asserted that the new dam project — believed to be the world’s largest hydroelectric undertaking — is essential for China’s push to combat climate change, enhance energy security, and improve livelihoods in remote Tibetan regions.
“The development of the project in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River is a matter of China’s sovereignty,” Guo said, while emphasizing that the dam is intended to generate clean energy, support local infrastructure, and prevent natural disasters such as floods.
According to Chinese officials, the dam will have the capacity to generate over 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually — enough to meet the yearly electricity needs of more than 300 million people.
They claim that rigorous environmental and safety standards are being followed, and the dam’s location in Nyingchi City, near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) opposite India’s Arunachal Pradesh, is not unusual given China’s emphasis on optimizing its high-altitude river systems for hydroelectric development.
Mounting Indian Concerns: Strategic and Ecological Red Flags
While China defends the dam as a clean energy initiative, India remains deeply skeptical of the project’s intentions and long-term consequences. The Indian government is closely monitoring developments, particularly due to the dam’s strategic location near the India-China border and the potential for water flow manipulation in times of geopolitical tension.
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, in an interview with PTI Videos earlier this month, described the project as a “ticking water bomb,” warning that the dam poses an existential threat that outweighs even conventional military threats.
“The issue is that China cannot be trusted. No one knows what they might do,” Khandu said, pointing to Beijing’s refusal to sign international water treaties, which would require it to follow transparent, rule-based norms on transboundary river projects.
Beyond trust issues, Indian experts and officials have raised environmental and safety concerns, particularly given that the Tibetan Plateau is highly earthquake-prone due to its location along active tectonic plate boundaries.
Critics warn that building massive hydropower infrastructure in such a geologically sensitive zone could have devastating consequences, both for upstream regions and downstream populations in northeast India.
Strategic Fears: Control of Water as a Geopolitical Lever
India’s primary concern lies not just in the environmental risks, but in the strategic implications of China having the ability to control or alter the flow of water in the Brahmaputra, a lifeline river for millions of people in the Indian Northeast and Bangladesh.
While China insists that the project will not involve diverting water or reducing downstream flow, Indian officials worry that in times of heightened tensions, Beijing could weaponize the dam to unleash floods or reduce water flow to pressure its neighbors.
This is not the first time such concerns have emerged. China’s Zam Hydropower Station, completed in 2015 in Tibet, raised similar fears in India. Despite reassurances from Beijing, the lack of third-party oversight or transparent verification mechanisms continues to fuel mistrust.
China Attempts to Allay Fears: Diplomatic Assurances
Responding to fears voiced by India and Bangladesh, Guo Jiakun reiterated that China had informed and consulted both countries and had shared hydrological data with them. He emphasized that China intends to continue such cooperative engagement on issues of flood prevention and disaster mitigation.
“China has maintained necessary communication with the downstream countries,” Guo stated. “We will enhance our cooperation with India and Bangladesh to ensure the river continues to benefit all people living along its course.”
China also stressed that no water would be withdrawn from the river and no ecological damage would be inflicted on the lower riparian zones. According to Guo, state-of-the-art construction practices are being employed to protect the ecological balance, and the project would reduce disaster risks such as flooding, rather than exacerbate them.
In Dhaka, Chinese ambassador Yao Wen also moved quickly to reassure Bangladesh. In a meeting with Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Adviser, Md Touhid Hossain, on July 21, Yao clarified that the project was purely for electricity generation, with no impact on downstream water availability.
“China will not withdraw or use any water from the project, and it will not affect the downstream countries,” Yao was quoted as saying.