China says its world's biggest dam over Brahmaputra will not impact water flows to India

China reiterates plan to build world's biggest dam on Brahmaputra River, ensuring no negative impact on downstream countries.

China on Monday (January 6, 2025) reiterated its plan to build the world’s biggest dam over the Brahmaputra River in Tibet near the Indian border, saying the planned project has gone through rigorous scientific verification and will not have any negative impact on downstream countries – India and Bangladesh.

The project, estimated to cost around ₹137 billion, is located in the ecologically fragile Himalayan region along a tectonic plate boundary where earthquakes occur frequently.

“On the hydropower project in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River, China has made its position clear. Let me reiterate that the decision to build the project was made after rigorous scientific evaluation and the project will not have a negative impact on the ecological environment, geological conditions and the rights and interests related to water resources of downstream countries,” Foreign Ministry’s new spokesman Guo Jiakun told a media briefing here.

“Rather, it will, to some extent, help with their disaster prevention and reduction and climate response,” he said, replying to a question that India has expressed its concerns over the dam and the issue figured in the Indian officials talks with the visiting U.S. National Security Advisor Sullivan.

Sullivan, currently visiting Delhi, held talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday (January 6, 2025) broadly reviewing the trajectory of the India-U.S. global strategic partnership in the last four years under the Biden administration.

Sullivan is on a visit to India two weeks ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration as the 47th president of the U.S.

Last month, China approved plans to build a dam over the Brahmaputra River called Yarlung Zangbo in Tibet close to the Indian border.