Overview

• Premier Li Qiang formally launched the main construction phase of the Yarlung Tsangpo dam near Nyingchi on July 19, marking China’s first major hydropower project on the Brahmaputra after 74 years of research.
• The fully state-funded, 1.2 trillion yuan facility will feature 60,000 MW of capacity—three times that of the Three Gorges Dam—and an ±800 kV transmission line to Guangdong and Hong Kong.
• India has demanded greater transparency and consultation, citing the absence of a water-sharing agreement and potential impacts on agriculture, fisheries, and flood control downstream.
• Experts warn that controlling seasonal flows in a seismic Zone V region could disrupt ecosystems, increase flood risks, and enable Beijing to exert political leverage over India and Bangladesh.
• China’s government has maintained selective hydrological data sharing since a 2013 pact expired, and both sides are reportedly negotiating to renew flood-monitoring cooperation.