China’s Parliament approves proposal to build dam across Brahmaputra

China’s Parliament on Thursday adopted the 14th Five-Year Plan, the mega blueprint containing billions of {dollars} value of initiatives, together with the controversial hydropower project on the Brahmaputra river in Tibet shut to the Arunachal Pradesh border over which India has raised considerations.

The National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s legislature with over 2,000 members largely drawn from the ruling Communist Party, adopted the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025) for nationwide financial and social improvement and the long-range goals by way of the yr 2035, on the final day of its six-day session on Thursday, official media reported.

Attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang and different senior leaders, the NPC permitted a improvement blueprint which incorporates 60 proposals for dashing up China’s improvement. It was handed by the Communist Party of China (CPC) final yr.

The 14th Five-Year plan included constructing the dam on the decrease reaches of the Brahmaputra river over which India and Bangladesh, the riparian states, have raised considerations. China has downplayed such anxieties saying it could preserve their pursuits in thoughts.

As a decrease riparian State with appreciable established consumer rights to the waters of the trans-border rivers, the Indian authorities has constantly conveyed its views and considerations to the Chinese authorities and has urged them to make sure that the pursuits of downstream states are usually not harmed by any actions in upstream areas.

Che Dalha, deputy Communist Party chief of the Tibet Autonomous Region, mentioned throughout the NPC session that authorities there ought to “strive to begin construction (of the dam) this year”.

“Comprehensive planning and environmental impact assessments for the project should be approved as soon as possible,” he mentioned on final Saturday on the sidelines of the NPC session, Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post quoted a press launch from the provincial authorities in Tibet.

Mr. Che additionally mentioned that the exploration of pure fuel in northern Tibet must be one of many focuses of the nation’s vitality improvement targets over the subsequent 5 years.

The plan envisages constructing the dam at Medog county, the place the Yarlung Zangbo Grand Canyon is positioned. Medog is the final county in Tibet which borders Arunachal Pradesh.

The plan was first revealed late final yr by Yan Zhiyong, chairman of the Power Construction Corp of China or POWERCHINA.

He mentioned China will implement hydropower exploitation within the downstream of the Yarlung Zangbo River (the Tibetan identify for Brahmaputra) and this was clearly put ahead within the proposals for formulating the nation’s 14th Five-Year Plan and its long-term targets by way of 2035 made by the Central Committee of the CPC.

“There is not any parallel in historical past…it will likely be a historic alternative for the Chinese hydropower industry,” Mr. Yan was quoted as saying by the official media at a convention to have fun the fortieth anniversary of the founding of the China Society for Hydropower Engineering.

China has already operationalised the $1.5 billion Zangmu Hydropower Station, the biggest in Tibet in 2015.

India and China have established Expert Level Mechanism (ELM) in 2006 to focus on varied points associated to trans-border rivers.

Under current bilateral Memorandums of Understanding, China supplies India hydrological data of Brahmaputra river and Sutlej river throughout the flood seasons.

Under the association, China supplies flood season information of the Brahmaputra river between May 15 and October 15 yearly.

Commenting on the proposal to build the dam, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying instructed a media briefing in Beijing on December 3 final yr that the “hydropower improvement within the decrease reaches of Yarlung Zangbo river is China’s reliable proper. When it comes to use and improvement of cross border rivers, China at all times acts responsibly,” she mentioned.

“We have a coverage that includes improvement and conservation and all initiatives will undergo science-based planning and evaluation giving full consideration to affect downstream and accommodating the pursuits of upstream and downstream areas,” Ms. Hua mentioned.

“The improvement of decrease reaches of Yarlung Zangbo is within the early levels of planning and evaluation. There is not any want to learn an excessive amount of into that,” she mentioned.

“For a very long time, China, India and Bangladesh have had good cooperation in sharing hydrological data, flood and catastrophe discount and contingency administration. We will continue communication by way of current channels,” she mentioned.

Asked whether or not China will focus on the longer term plan of action with India and Bangladesh, she mentioned, “Actually, for a very long time the three nations, China, India and Bangladesh have been in shut communication on sharing hydrological data, flood prevention and catastrophe discount and contingency administration.”

“Going ahead China, India, Bangladesh and different involved nations will proceed to have good communication. There is not any want for any anxiousness on this matter,” she mentioned.