India has lodged a protest with China over the declaration of two new counties in Hotan province, as parts of them come under the Union Territory of Ladakh. On China establishing two new counties in Hotan province, the Foreign Ministry said that we have never accepted China’s illegal occupation of Indian territory in this area.
India’s Foreign Ministry said that we will continue to monitor and take necessary steps to protect our interests.
India gave a strong message to China
- The Chinese side was urged to ensure that the interests of the downstream Brahmaputra states are not harmed: MEA on China’s plan to build a dam on the Brahmaputra
- We will continue to monitor and take necessary steps to protect our interests: MEA on China’s plan to build the largest dam on the Brahmaputra
- We have never accepted China’s illegal occupation of Indian territory in this area: External Affairs Ministry said this regarding the establishment of two new counties in Hotan province by China
On China’s dam project, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, citing information released by Xinhua on December 25, 2024, said, “We have heard about the proposed hydropower project on the Yarlung Tsangpo River in the Tibet Autonomous Region. As a user authority, we have consistently expressed our views and concerns to the Chinese side at the expert level and through diplomatic channels.
He further said, “Following the latest report, it has been reiterated that there is a need for transparency and consultation with downstream countries. We have urged the Chinese side to ensure that the interests of the lower Brahmaputra river states are taken into account in the upper reaches.” We will continue to monitor and take necessary measures to ensure that no harm is caused to our interests.”
Chinese state media Xinhua reported on December 27 that the government of northwest China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region had announced the establishment of two new counties in the region, He’an County and Hekang County.
What is India’s concern?
Let us tell you that China is going to build a dam three times bigger than the world’s largest Three Gorges Dam on the Brahmaputra River, which is going to become a new and big cause of concern for India. The Brahmaputra River, which originates from the Chemayungdung Glacier near Lake Manasarovar in China’s Autonomous Tibet Province, is called Yarlung Tsangpo in China. China has already built many big dams on this river. Now preparations are on to build the world’s largest dam.
Where is the hydropower dam going to be built?
Overall, the Yarlung Tsangpo river, about 2900 kilometers long, flows west across the Himalayas on the Tibetan Plateau for a distance of 2057 kilometers and then enters India through Arunachal Pradesh. After India, it goes to Bangladesh and then joins the Bay of Bengal. But just before entering India, this river takes a sharp U turn. This is the area where China is going to build the world’s largest hydropower dam, which is also being called Great Bend Dam.
The dam will affect the entire ecosystem of the Brahmaputra river.
The world’s largest dam being built on the Brahmaputra river has created concern in India too. It is feared that with this China will be able to control the waters of Brahmaputra. The large reservoir of the dam will be able to hold water as per its need and release it as per its need. If China suddenly releases water, the areas around the Brahmaputra in India may be flooded. The lack of trust with China further increases such concerns. The Brahmaputra becomes equally ferocious during the rainy season. This dam will affect the entire ecosystem of the Brahmaputra river. It is certain to have an impact on the aquatic animals living in it.
