Beijing has admitted to New Delhi that the mainland is building a dam on the Yarlung Zangbo River near its disputed border with India (South China Morning Post, April 24).  The river originates in Tibet and flows into India.  Mainland experts in the project confirmed the hydropower plan for the river yesterday and said that four dams would be built between Sangri and Jiacha counties.  The total power capacity for the dams would be bigger than that of the Three Gorges Dam.  Power from the dams will be used to meet growing demand in Hong Kong and Guangdong.  The first dam lies Southeast of Lhasa at an altitude of 3,260 meters.  The damming of the Yarlung Zangbo, the highest major river in the world, will also give Beijing direct control of the water supply to more than 90,000 square km of land over which China claims sovereignty but which is under control of India.  Chinese officials told India that Beijing had no obligation to reveal its plan to New Delhi but did so to build trust and ease tensions.  Beijing said the hydropower plants would not affect waters into India.

Takeaway:

• The BRIC relationship will be tested over potential water-wars.

• Chinese engineering is increasingly sophisticated and can now build in inhospitable mountains.

• In hindsight the Beijing – Lhasa railway was not only for tourists

• Water has spiritual connotations in India.  Let’s hope this doesn’t muddy bilateral relations.