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Forbes
21 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
History & Hydrology: What You Don't Understand About China's New Dam
Xi Jinping continues the Chinese tradition of leaders inspecting hydrological projects. China officially began construction on the world's largest hydroelectric dam in the middle of July 2025. The Yarlung Zangbo project, also known by its Indian name of Brahmaputra, is set to be a marvel of engineering, requiring a gargantuan amount of capital and expertise to complete. With a price tag of over 170 billion dollars, the dam plans to utilize Tibet's high elevation and geography to generate consistent, massive water flows, ultimately yielding 300 billion kilowatt hours of electricity per year. This would be triple the amount of electricity generated by the current largest dam, the Three Gorges Dam in China. For context, the famous Hoover Dam, located outside of Las Vegas, generates approximately 4 billion kWh of electricity per year. In China's official announcement, state media quickly emphasized the project's green credentials and the massive engineering feat the dam's construction would represent. A deluge of concern about China controlling downstream river access for large parts of India and Bangladesh compelled China to officially reassure everyone that the project wouldn't impact downriver consumers. With Southeast Asian concerns over Chinese control of the source of the Mekong in mind, India remains skeptical. The fear: China may use its control over key water sources that supply hundreds of millions of people throughout South and Southeast Asia as political leverage. While the world is understandably focusing on what this project means for downstream actors and geopolitics, more important domestic dimensions are being neglected. This project will have vital implications not just for China's economy, but it also signals important points about Chinese politics that the world must take note In Chinese Memory And Foreign PolicyNo country or civilization has had hydrology in all its forms, from ancient irrigation and flood control to modern hydropower, imprint itself on the collective psyche as much as China. The mythical first emperor of China, Yu the Engineer, supposedly became emperor and founded China's Xia Dynasty because he was effective at flood control. Taming China's three major rivers – the Yellow, Pearl, and Yangtze Rivers – has been one of the chief responsibilities for every Chinese government since time immemorial. Failure to do so often heralded regime change, most famously when China's short-lived Sui Dynasty collapsed due to a combination of neglect and overreach concerning flood control and irrigation. Right before the modern People's Republic was founded in 1949, China was inundated with massive floods, helping to discredit the Nationalist Kuomintang government as it fled to Taiwan and, in accord with tradition, heralding a new government. Control over these rivers has always provided China with considerable leverage against invaders and its neighbors. When the Mongols invaded southern China and sparked the most prolonged siege in Medieval history at Xianyang (1267-1273), the Chinese used clever water control to supply a key fortress for over 5 years. During the Second Sino-Japanese War (1937-1945), China blew up the dikes for the Yellow River at Huayuankou, stalling the Japanese army and arguably saving China from conquest, but in the process exposing millions of civilians to deadly flooding and privations of all kinds. Beyond China's interior, China's control of the Tibetan plateau affords it considerable leverage over all its neighbors. The Ganges, Indus, Brahmaputra, Irrawaddy, and Mekong rivers all originate in Chinese territory. This means collectively, China controls the primary water sources for roughly 2.1 billion people across South and Southeast Asia in nearly every country between Pakistan and Vietnam. That is just under one quarter of humanity. Many of these countries, especially India and Vietnam, have undisguised fears that China will exercise control over these water sources for political leverage. It's already happened elsewhere. China's dominance of the Mekong River in particular has enabled it to reinforce its position in Laos and Cambodia, to the detriment of the local agricultural sectors whenever there is a shortfall of rain upstream within In Modern China China's Three Gorges Dam stands as both a testament to modern engineering, and a lesson for Chinese ... More policymakers. For Chinese energy policymakers, hydropower holds an important position. Not only is it an effective means of generating electricity, but it also turns the historical obstacles of extreme flooding into modern boons of cheap energy. Hydropower is thus a practical tool and a source of state legitimacy. Shortly after the PRC was founded, the Chinese government began a 50-year flood control program that centered on hydropower. During the Cultural Revolution, China's infamous crash-industrialization program that ultimately resulted in the worst famine in human history, Mao Zedong ordered the construction of thousands of dams across China. Throughout the Maoist era, dams and hydropower had a spotty record despite the focus lavished upon them. Their proliferation created problems of poor coordination, inefficient energy generation, and agricultural shortfalls. Mao's obsession with taming China's great rivers in a way no emperor had done only exacerbated China's economic woes. Following the post-Mao reforms, the Chinese government resumed its efforts to utilize hydropower to build legitimacy and address economic challenges. The Three Gorges Dam, currently the largest dam in the world, was that project. What was supposed to be a symbol of a modern, more market-friendly China became a crisis. A book warning against the project, Yangtze! Yangtze!, was a favorite of the Tiananmen Square protestors, and its author was later forced into exile. The project displaced roughly 1.3 million people and caused sporadic protests and clashes between the displaced and authorities throughout the 1990s. It was also a political landmine at China's highest levels that threatened the Communist Party's hold on power. China's National People's Congress, a rubber stamp legislature which has never rejected a piece of legislation from the Communist Party, had an unprecedented parliamentary revolt. 1/3rd of delegates voted no, and another chunk abstained, meaning the legislation passed squeaked by the narrowest of margins. China's former prime minister, Zhu Rongji, who shepherded China into the WTO, broke a government directive forbidding official criticism when he spoke out against the project in 1999. Only later in 2007 did the Chinese government admit the Three Gorges Dam 'Has caused an array of ecological and social ills'. The original announcement of this admission has since disappeared from Chinese state media. Despite its numerous shortcomings, Three Gorges ultimately succeeded, and there is evidence that Chinese policymakers learned from its shortcomings. Hydropower now accounts for 13% of China's electricity consumption, and its relatively clean nature is encouraging to environmentalists. The remote location of the new dam also defuses many ecological and political obstacles and creates another means of solidifying China's control over Tibet. It will also assist China in effectively managing water for other energy and water-intensive initiatives, such as AI or solar panel production. However impressive a feat of engineering or however much electricity is generated, or even how many disputes in international relations arise, Yarlung Zangbo is, at the end of the day, a project that is inseparable from Chinese prestige and history and the Chinese Communist Party's understanding of its recent political missteps. Only when one views it as such, beyond just another energy project in a nation full of massive energy projects, can its full importance be understood. Yarlung Zangbo is set to go forward just as much for the aggrandizement of China as it is for electricity.
Express Tribune
23-07-2025
- Business
- Express Tribune
World's largest power project stirs anxieties
Listen to article China has broken ground on what it says will be the world's largest hydropower project, a $170 billion feat capable of generating enough electricity each year to power Britain. The scheme dwarfs the mighty Three Gorges Dam, currently the world's largest, and Chinese construction and engineering stocks surged after Premier Li Qiang unveiled it on the weekend. For Beijing, the project promises clean power, jobs and a jolt of stimulus for a slowing economy. For neighbours downstream, it stirs old anxieties about water security: the Yarlung?Zangbo becomes the Brahmaputra in India and Bangladesh, a lifeline for millions. What exactly did China approve? The plan involves five dams along a 50?km stretch where the river plunges 2,000 metres off the Tibetan Plateau. First power is expected to be generated in the early?to?mid 2030s, but beyond that and the price tag, China has published little information about how it intends to build the project. Why are neighbours concerned? That lack of information is compounding fears about water security in India and Bangladesh, which rely on the Brahmaputra for irrigation, hydropower and drinking water. The chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh, which borders China, said earlier this year that the dam could dry out 80% of the river passing through the Indian state while potentially inundating downstream areas such as neighbouring Assam state. In addition to water, the dam will also mean less sediment flowing downstream, according to Michael Steckler, a professor at Columbia University. That sediment carries nutrients essential for agriculture on floodplains downstream. India and China fought a border war in this region in the 1960s, and the lack of transparency from Beijing has helped fuel speculation it might use the dam to cut off water in another conflict, according to Sayanangshu Modak, an expert on the India-China water relationship at the University of Arizona. "The construction of the Yarlung Zangbo hydropower project is a matter within the scope of China's sovereign affairs," Beijing's foreign ministry said on Tuesday, adding the dam would provide clean energy and prevent flooding. "China has also conducted necessary communication with downstream countries regarding hydrological information, flood control, and disaster mitigation cooperation related to the Yarlung Zangbo project," the ministry said. India's foreign and water ministries did not respond to requests for comment. India's take But the impact of the dam on downstream flows has been overstated, in part because the bulk of the water that enters the Brahmaputra is from monsoon rainfall south of the Himalayas, and not from China, said Modak. He added that China's plans are for a "run of the river" hydropower project, which means the water will flow normally along the usual course of the Brahmaputra. India itself has proposed two dams on the Siang river, its name for the Yarlung Zangbo. One, an 11.5-gigawatt project in Arunachal Pradesh, will be India's largest if it goes ahead. Those have been proposed, in part, to assert India's claims on the river and bolster its case should China ever seek to divert the water, Modak added. "If India can show that it has been using the waters, then China cannot unilaterally divert," he said. Controversy is common Quarrels over dams and water security are not new. Pakistan has accused India of weaponising shared water supplies in the disputed Kashmir region after New Delhi suspended its participation in the Indus Waters Treaty, which regulates water sharing between the neighbours. In Egypt, a senior politician was once caught on camera proposing to bomb a controversial Nile river dam planned by Ethiopia during a long-running dispute over the project. Earthquake, extreme weather risk The dam will be built in an earthquake zone also prone to landslides, glacial?lake floods and storms. A spree of dam building in the area sparked concerns from experts about safety following a devastating earthquake in Tibet earlier this year. A much smaller hydropower project on a nearby tributary has been limited to four?month construction windows because of engineering challenges in high altitudes and vicious winters.
Free Malaysia Today
21-07-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
China embarks on world's largest hydropower dam, capital markets cheer
The Three Gorges Dam, which took almost two decades to complete, generated nearly a million jobs. (EPA Images pic) HONG KONG : China's Premier Li Qiang announced construction had begun on what will be the world's largest hydropower dam, on the eastern rim of the Tibetan Plateau, at an estimated cost of at least US$170 billion, the official Xinhua news agency said. Commencement of the dam, China's most ambitious hydropower project since the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze, was seized by Chinese markets as proof of economic stimulus, sending stock prices and bond yields higher today. Made up of five cascade hydropower stations with the capacity to produce 300 billion kWh of electricity annually, equal to the amount of electricity consumed by Britain last year, the dam will be located in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo. A section of the river falls 2,000m within a span of 50km, offering huge hydropower potential. India and Bangladesh have already raised concerns about its possible impact on the millions of people downstream, while non-governmental organisations (NGOs) warned of the risk to one of the richest and most diverse environments on the plateau. Beijing has said the dam will help meet power demand in Tibet and the rest of China without having a major effect on downstream water supplies or the environment. Operations are expected sometime in the 2030s. China's CSI Construction & Engineering Index jumped as much as 4% to a seven-month high. Power Construction Corporation of China and Arcplus Group PLC surged by their 10% daily limit. 'From an investment perspective, mature hydropower projects offer bond-like dividends,' Wang Zhuo, partner of Shanghai Zhuozhu Investment Management said, while cautioning that speculative buying into related stocks would inflate valuations. 'The project will drive demand for construction and building materials such as cement and civil explosives,' Huatai Securities said in a note to clients. Shares of Beijing-listed Hunan Wuxin Tunnel Intelligent Equipment Co, which sells tunnel construction equipment, surged 30%. So did shares of Geokang Technologies Co Ltd, which makes intelligent monitoring terminals. Cement maker Xizang Tianlu Co Ltd and Tibet GaoZheng Explosive Co, producer of civil explosive materials, both jumped their maximum 10%. Broader impact The Chinese premier described the dam as a 'project of the century' and said special emphasis 'must be placed on ecological conservation to prevent environmental damage,' Xinhua said on Saturday. Government bond yields rose across the board today, with the most-traded 30-year treasury futures falling to five-week lows, as investors interpreted the news as part of China's economic stimulus. The project, overseen by the newly formed state-owned China Yajiang Group, marks a major boost in public investment to help bolster economic growth as current drivers show signs of faltering. 'Assuming 10 years of construction, the investment/GDP boost could reach ¥120 billion (US$16.7 billion) for a single year,' said Citi in a note. 'The actual economic benefits could go beyond that,' Citi added. China has not given an estimate on the number of jobs the project could create. The Three Gorges, which took almost two decades to complete, generated nearly a million jobs, state media reported, though it displaced at least a similar number of people. Authorities have not indicated how many people would be displaced by the Yarlung Zangbo project. NGOs say the dam will irreversibly harm the Tibetan Plateau and hit millions of people downstream. The Yarlung Zangbo becomes the Brahmaputra River as it leaves Tibet and flows south into India and finally into Bangladesh.
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
China embarks on world's largest hydropower dam, capital markets cheer
By Farah Master and Samuel Shen HONG KONG/SHANGHAI (Reuters) -China's Premier Li Qiang announced construction had begun on what will be the world's largest hydropower dam, on the eastern rim of the Tibetan Plateau, at an estimated cost of at least $170 billion, the official Xinhua news agency said. Commencement of the hydropower project, China's most ambitious since the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze, was seized by Chinese markets as proof of economic stimulus, sending stock prices and bond yields higher on Monday. Made up of five cascade hydropower stations with the capacity to produce 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, equal to the amount of electricity consumed by Britain last year, the dam will be located in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo. A section of the river tumbles 2,000 metres (6,561 feet) in a span of 50km (31 miles), offering huge hydropower potential. India and Bangladesh have already raised concerns about its possible impact on the millions of people downstream, while NGOs warned of the risk to one of the richest and most diverse environments on the plateau. Beijing has said the dam will help meet power demand in Tibet and the rest of China without having a major effect on downstream water supplies or the environment. Operations are expected sometime in the 2030s. China's CSI Construction & Engineering Index jumped as much as 4% to a seven-month high. Power Construction Corporation of China and Arcplus Group PLC surged by their 10% daily limit. "From an investment perspective, mature hydropower projects offer bond-like dividends," Wang Zhuo, partner of Shanghai Zhuozhu Investment Management said, while cautioning that speculative buying into related stocks would inflate valuations. The project will drive demand for construction and building materials such as cement and civil explosives, Huatai Securities said in a note to clients. Shares of Beijing-listed Hunan Wuxin Tunnel Intelligent Equipment Co, which sells tunnel construction equipment, surged 30%. So did shares of Geokang Technologies Co Ltd, which makes intelligent monitoring terminals. Cement maker Xizang Tianlu Co Ltd and Tibet GaoZheng Explosive Co, producer of civil explosive materials, both jumped their maximum 10%. BROADER IMPACT The Chinese premier described the dam as a "project of the century" and said special emphasis "must be placed on ecological conservation to prevent environmental damage," Xinhua said on Saturday. Government bond yields rose across the board on Monday, with the most-traded 30-year treasury futures falling to five-week lows, as investors interpreted the news as part of China's economic stimulus. The project, overseen by the newly formed state-owned China Yajiang Group, marks a major boost in public investment to help bolster economic growth as current drivers show signs of faltering. "Assuming 10 years of construction, the investment/GDP boost could reach 120 billion yuan ($16.7 billion) for a single year," said Citi in a note. "The actual economic benefits could go beyond that." China has not given an estimate on the number of jobs the project could create. The Three Gorges, which took almost two decades to complete, generated nearly a million jobs, state media reported, though it displaced at least a similar number of people. Authorities have not indicated how many people would be displaced by the Yarlung Zangbo project. The Yarlung Zangbo becomes the Brahmaputra River as it leaves Tibet and flows south into India and finally into Bangladesh. NGOs say the dam will irreversibly harm the Tibetan Plateau and hit millions of people downstream. The chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Pema Khandu, said earlier this year that such a colossal dam barely 50km from the border could dry out 80% of the river passing through the Indian state while potentially inundating downstream areas in Arunachal and neighbouring Assam state. Some experts also express concerns for a project in a seismically active zone. ($1 = 7.1788 Chinese yuan) Solve the daily Crossword
Reuters
21-07-2025
- Business
- Reuters
China embarks on world's largest hydropower dam, capital markets cheer
HONG KONG/SHANGHAI, July 21 (Reuters) - China's Premier Li Qiang announced construction had begun on what will be the world's largest hydropower dam, on the eastern rim of the Tibetan Plateau, at an estimated cost of at least $170 billion, the official Xinhua news agency said. Commencement of the dam, China's most ambitious hydropower project since the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze, was seized by Chinese markets as proof of economic stimulus, sending stock prices and bond yields higher on Monday. Made up of five cascade hydropower stations with the capacity to produce 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually, equal to the amount of electricity consumed by Britain last year, the dam will be located in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo. A section of the river falls 2,000 metres (6,561 feet) within a span of 50 km (31 miles), offering huge hydropower potential. India and Bangladesh have already raised concerns about its possible impact on the millions of people downstream, while NGOs warned of the risk to one of the richest and most diverse environments on the plateau. Beijing has said the dam will help meet power demand in Tibet and the rest of China without having a major effect on downstream water supplies or the environment. Operations are expected sometime in the 2030s. China's CSI Construction & Engineering Index (.CSI399995), opens new tab jumped as much as 4% to a seven-month high. Power Construction Corporation of China ( opens new tab and Arcplus Group PLC ( opens new tab surged by their 10% daily limit. "From an investment perspective, mature hydropower projects offer bond-like dividends," Wang Zhuo, partner of Shanghai Zhuozhu Investment Management said, while cautioning that speculative buying into related stocks would inflate valuations. The project will drive demand for construction and building materials such as cement and civil explosives, Huatai Securities said in a note to clients. Shares of Beijing-listed Hunan Wuxin Tunnel Intelligent Equipment Co ( opens new tab, which sells tunnel construction equipment, surged 30%. So did shares of Geokang Technologies Co Ltd ( opens new tab, which makes intelligent monitoring terminals. Cement maker Xizang Tianlu Co Ltd ( opens new tab and Tibet GaoZheng Explosive Co ( opens new tab, producer of civil explosive materials, both jumped their maximum 10%. The Chinese premier described the dam as a "project of the century" and said special emphasis "must be placed on ecological conservation to prevent environmental damage," Xinhua said on Saturday. Government bond yields rose across the board on Monday, with the most-traded 30-year treasury futures falling to five-week lows, as investors interpreted the news as part of China's economic stimulus. The project, overseen by the newly formed state-owned China Yajiang Group, marks a major boost in public investment to help bolster economic growth as current drivers show signs of faltering. "Assuming 10 years of construction, the investment/GDP boost could reach 120 billion yuan ($16.7 billion) for a single year," said Citi in a note. "The actual economic benefits could go beyond that." China has not given an estimate on the number of jobs the project could create. The Three Gorges, which took almost two decades to complete, generated nearly a million jobs, state media reported, though it displaced at least a similar number of people. Authorities have not indicated how many people would be displaced by the Yarlung Zangbo project. NGOs say the dam will irreversibly harm the Tibetan Plateau and hit millions of people downstream. The Yarlung Zangbo becomes the Brahmaputra River as it leaves Tibet and flows south into India and finally into Bangladesh. ($1 = 7.1788 Chinese yuan renminbi)
