Dam on Brahmaputra will have no negative impact: China

After India expressed concerns over China’s dam-building project in the upstream stretch of the Brahmaputra within its territory, Beijing on Saturday asserted that the project would have no “negative impact” on downstream countries. Before entering India, the Brahmaputra is called the Yarlung Tsangpo, and its downstream region includes both India and Bangladesh.

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India’s reaction came nearly two months after New Delhi and Beijing reached an understanding in October last year to disengage troops at “friction points” along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). This followed a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, aimed at reviving normal bilateral relations.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, during a press briefing on Friday, confirmed that the issue had been formally raised with China. Jaiswal highlighted Beijing’s plan to construct a hydropower project on the Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibet and emphasised the importance of consulting downstream countries.

Responding to India’s concerns, Chinese spokesperson Yu Jing said the project poses “no negative impact” on the downstream region and reaffirmed China’s commitment to maintaining engagement with affected countries.

“China has always acted responsibly in the development of cross-border rivers,” she said. “The hydropower development in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo has undergone decades of in-depth study, with safeguard measures implemented for project security and ecological protection. The project has no negative impact on the lower reaches. China will continue to maintain communication with downstream countries through existing channels and enhance cooperation on disaster prevention and relief to benefit the people living along the river.”