Latest news with #ZhangGuoqing
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
5 days ago
- Politics
- First Post
Weaponing water: China's hydropower push poses grave risk to India
The construction of the dams could bring devastation not only to the Pemakoe area in Tibet but also to Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, and Bangladesh downstream read more On the morning of July 19, inaugurating the first phase of the Yarlung Hydropower Project, Li Qiang, a member of the all-powerful Standing Committee of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China and Premier (Prime Minister) of the State Council (Cabinet), stated that it was to be 'large in size, long in cycle, and far-reaching in impact.' He added it can be called the 'project of a century'. The project may not become the 'project of the century' for the electricity it could generate, but for the amount of environmental devastation it will produce. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD When I read the news the next morning, the floods in Sikkim on the night of October 4, 2023, came immediately to mind. That day, a glacial lake in North Sikkim burst without warning, unleashing a deadly torrent down the Teesta River valley. The magazine Down to Earth reported: 'The disaster, triggered by climate-driven glacial melt, left a trail of devastation and renewed alarm over the growing threat of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF) in the eastern Himalayas.' The environmental publication added: 'Glaciers and glacial lakes serve as one of the most important water resources for downstream communities, but over the years, the increase in the number and area of glacial lakes has also become a major threat to lives and infrastructure in downstream areas in the form of GLOF events.' How will China avoid such man-made disasters caused by mega development in the Yarlung Tsangpo basin, a far more fragile area? The Launch of the Mega Project According to Xinhua News Agency, the opening ceremony of the project on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo (YT) was held in Milin County of Nyingchi City in today's Tibet Autonomous Region. The Xinhua release said: 'At the dam site of the Milin Hydropower Station (probably near Pai Township), Li Qiang inspected the construction site and the equipment. He listened to the report on the development of hydropower projects as well as the scientific and technological research undertaken.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD A few days earlier, a new industrial conglomerate, the China Yajiang Group, was created in Beijing for the purpose of building the five dams. Zhang Guoqing, member of the Political Bureau and Vice-Premier of the State Council, unveiled the company's by-laws: 'From a strategic and overall perspective, it is an important measure to thoroughly implement the overall national security concept, the new energy security strategy and the Party's Tibet governance strategy in the new era,' he affirmed. From Nine to Five Hydropower Stations In December 2020, Beijing had announced that a survey would be conducted to select the route and the characteristics of the hydropower plants (HPPs) on the mighty Yarlung Tsangpo, with the diversion starting a few kilometres from Pai Township; it was then to consist of one tunnel (about 30 km long) and 9 HPPs. According to the latest Xinhua release, the project in this extremely geologically fragile area will now consist of a cascade of five run-of-the-river HPPs, with water being mostly diverted via tunnels; the design has therefore been simplified. The total investment is estimated at about $167.8 billion. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Mega Earthquake On August 15, 1950, the Assam-Tibet Earthquake of a magnitude 8.7 on the Richter scale struck Southern Tibet as well as today's Anjaw district of Arunachal Pradesh. The Dalai Lama, who was 15 at the time, noted in his memoirs: 'It was like an artillery barrage—which is what we assumed to be the cause of both the tremors and the noise: a test of some sort being carried out by the Tibetan army… Some people reported seeing a strange red glow in the skies in the direction from which the noise came…' The area is not very far from the Great Bend (and Upper Siang) where the Yarlung Tsangpo project is to be built; in 1950, the earthquake changed the course of the river. Let us not forget that there is high seismicity across the entire region. Over the years, different avatars of the HPP project were rejected by Chinese scientists, but some very powerful politicians are pushing for it. Though the People's Liberation Army (PLA) was not represented at the opening ceremony in Pai, it will probably be involved later simply because the dams are close to the Indian border—and it involves a lot of money. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD An Old Plan A few years ago, I came across a letter addressed by the Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs to Apa Pant, the Political Officer in Sikkim. It quoted a tour report of the Secretary General, Relief Committee for Tibetans; the report dated October 1960 shows that in the 1950s, the Chinese were already planning to use the hydroelectric potential of the Brahmaputra. Apa Pant was informed: 'During the course of the talk, the Dalai Lama [probably in Mussoorie] also informed that he had reports that Chinese are planning to build high dams across Brahmaputra and Indus group of rivers in the Tibetan region. He told that, as a matter of fact, the Chinese had those schemes in view ever since they came to Tibet in 1951. He wondered how far such projects undertaken unilaterally would be in the interest of India and when the projects took shape how the Government of India would view the situation.' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Political Officer was further told by South Block: 'We have received no information so far about any proposal of the Chinese Government to construct dams across the Indus and the Brahmaputra before the rivers leave Tibet. The correct international practice in such matters is that building of dams, reservoirs, etc. by the upper riparian must not cause material injury to the interests of the lower riparian. Since, however, the information contained in the above extract is rather vague, we cannot make representations to the Chinese. …We do know that there is a great fall in the Brahmaputra just before it enters Indian territory. …This fall has a great potential for power and irrigation (?). It will, of course, require huge resources to make anything out of it and it will certainly take a long time.' The Deputy Secretary concluded: 'The necessity of being alert in this matter can hardly be over-emphasised.' The matter was of course quickly forgotten in Delhi, but not in Beijing. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD The Area's Characteristics The main characteristic of the Pemakoe area, known as the Great Bend of the Yarlung Tsangpo, is the difference of altitude between the beginning of the Bend at Pai, located at 2,900 metres above sea level, and an altitude of 600 metres at the end, 60 km away as the crow flies, where the river enters India and becomes the Siang. This creates a hydro-potential of 60,000 megawatts, which China has decided to utilize despite the technological, environmental, and political, seemingly insurmountable difficulties. After Li Qiang announced that the construction had officially started, the secretary-general of the State Council (China's Cabinet), Wu Zhenglong, presided over the opening ceremony; he explained that the project will primarily deliver electricity for external consumption while considering Tibet's local needs. The evacuation of the power produced will certainly remain a major technical issue, though China has made a great deal of progress in this domain. According to previous plans, the project ends near Baibeng (also known as Drepung), a few kilometres north of the Indian border. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It should be noted that the route of the diversion will run close to the Doshung-la tunnel and the new G219 which links Xinjiang to Mainland China along Tibet's southern borders; the opening of the road between Pai and Metok a couple of years ago will greatly facilitate the HPPs' construction. In the 1950s, the G219 was known as the Aksai Chin road (crossing over India's territory in Ladakh). The Lower Riparians' Major Worries For India and Bangladesh, the downstream neighbours, the environment and the high seismicity of the area are major worries. The construction of the dams could bring devastation not only to the Pemakoe area in Tibet but also to Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Bangladesh downstream. Li Qiang also spoke of the resettlement of the local population. He said: 'We must do a good job in the resettlement of immigrants [does he refer to the local tribes?] and better combine the promotion of project construction with the promotion of employment and income growth for local people. …We must build the Hydropower Project into a major landmark project in the new era.' China presently has a poor reputation in terms of population resettlement. The recent announcement of the project, which remained for years in the drawers of the Communist government in Beijing, is probably timed to give a warning to India, which recently put the Indus Water Treaty with Pakistan in abeyance, following terrorist attacks in Kashmir. Being the upper riparian state, China wants to show India who is the greatest Asian state; but even the most powerful state has no control over the changing climate. The writer is Distinguished Fellow, Centre of Excellence for Himalayan Studies, Shiv Nadar Institution of Eminence (Delhi). Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the writer. They do not necessarily reflect Firstpost's views.
Bangkok Post
11-07-2025
- Business
- Bangkok Post
China to speed up bullet-train connectivity with neighbours
China will further enhance connectivity with other countries by expanding its high-speed railway network, a senior politician has pledged. The country intends to promote both the "hard connectivity" of infrastructure and the "soft connectivity" of standards and rules to position high-speed rail as a cornerstone for advancing the nation's Belt and Road Initiative, Vice-Premier Zhang Guoqing said at the opening ceremony of the 12th World Congress on High-Speed Rail in Beijing on Tuesday. "China is committed to implementing both major projects and smaller, people-centred initiatives that deliver tangible benefits," Zhang said at the event, which has become a global showcase for high-speed developments and technology. "In carrying out high-speed rail projects abroad, we will enhance support for infrastructure and skills training to better benefit people in all countries." Beijing will continue to advance major landmark rail projects - such as the Hungary-Serbia railway, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, and the China-Thailand railway - while participating in the formulation of international railway standards, Zhang added. Marking China's first high-speed rail entry into Europe, the Hungary-Serbia route is designed to connect the two countries' respective capitals, Budapest and Belgrade, and part of the line in Serbia has been operational since 2022. The full route is expected to be completed by 2026, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said earlier this year. The project, particularly the Hungarian section, has also faced scrutiny from the European Union, which is increasingly wary of China's growing influence in the region. The Thai government approved the second phase of the China-Thailand high-speed railway project earlier this year, and it is expected to begin operations in 2030. This would be nearly a decade later than originally planned, as construction has faced delays and disagreements over financing and design, plus disruptions from the coronavirus pandemic. Having been in limbo for decades, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, which looks to connect China's northwestern frontier with several cities in the two Central Asian countries, began full construction earlier this year. With a total investment of US$4.7 billion, the first phase is expected to be completed by the end of the decade. "Against the backdrop of today's crisis-ridden and challenging environment, marked by geopolitical divisions and global instability, opening up new transportation routes is of critical importance," said Bakyt Torobayev, deputy prime minister of Kyrgyzstan, at the same event. "The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway is such a solution." The 304-kilometre railway line will establish the shortest rail corridor between the East and West, providing direct access for goods to European and Middle Eastern markets and forming a vital transport artery, Torobayev said. "The China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway will reshape the trade landscape." China will strengthen the alignment of high-speed-rail development plans with various countries, and it is willing to share its experience in high-speed rail planning, construction, equipment manufacturing and operation management with other countries, Zhang said. As of the end of 2024, China's high-speed rail network spanned 48,000 kilometres, accounting for more than 70% of the world's total high-speed rail mileage, according to official data. China has collaborated with more than 40 countries and regions across Asia, Europe, North America and Africa in railway planning, design, construction, and operation, according to Wang Lixin, vice-president of the state-owned China Railway. /////////
South China Morning Post
08-07-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
China to speed up bullet-train connectivity with neighbours
China will further enhance connectivity with other countries by expanding its high-speed railway network, a senior politician pledged on Tuesday. The country intends to promote both the 'hard connectivity' of infrastructure and the 'soft connectivity' of standards and rules to position high-speed rail as a cornerstone for advancing the nation's Belt and Road Initiative , Vice-Premier Zhang Guoqing said at the opening ceremony of the 12th World Congress on High-Speed Rail in Beijing. 'China is committed to implementing both major projects and smaller, people-centred initiatives that deliver tangible benefits,' Zhang said at the event, which has become a global showcase for high-speed developments and technology. 'In carrying out high-speed rail projects abroad, we will enhance support for infrastructure and skills training to better benefit people in all countries.' Beijing will continue to advance major landmark rail projects – such as the Hungary-Serbia railway, the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, and the China-Thailand railway – while participating in the formulation of international railway standards, Zhang added. Marking China's first high-speed rail entry into Europe, the Hungary-Serbia route is designed to connect the two countries' respective capitals, Budapest and Belgrade, and part of the line in Serbia has been operational since 2022. The full route is expected to be completed by 2026, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic said earlier this year. The project, particularly the Hungarian section, has also faced scrutiny from the European Union, which is increasingly wary of China's growing influence in the region.
The Independent
03-07-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
China on high alert for floods as record rain triggers landslides and building collapse
Swathes of China are on high alert for flash floods and landslides as unrelenting rain triggered deadly disasters and forced evacuations in multiple provinces. The torrential downpours, part of the annual 'Plum Rains' season, have swept from the southwest through central China and up to the northeast, prompting red alerts in Sichuan, Gansu and Liaoning provinces. In Henan province's Taiping town, rescue workers recovered five bodies and were searching for three missing people after a nearby river burst its banks, unleashing a sudden flash flood. More than 1,000 emergency personnel have been deployed to assist residents, state media reported. Vice premier Zhang Guoqing urged officials in Hebei to act urgently to protect lives as the rain continued. In neighbouring Gansu province, two people died when heavy rains caused a landslide at a construction site. Dramatic scenes unfolded in Guangxi, where video footage showed a five-storey building under construction collapsing into the Lengshui river as the ground beneath it gave way in waterlogged soil. The river saw its worst flooding since at least 2005, local media reported. In Guangxi 's Pingliu village, landslides destroyed two houses and forced the evacuation of 21 people. The Plum Rains have disrupted travel, with train services to Beijing suspended and flights delayed or cancelled at one of the capital's airports. The Chinese finance ministry this week announced an additional £14.3m in emergency disaster relief funds to support affected regions in Guizhou and Hunan provinces. The allocation followed a disbursement of £16.3m on 23 June. Guizhou's Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture, including Rongjiang and Congjiang counties, have been particularly hit hard. Rongjiang, known as the birthplace of China's popular Village Super League football tournament, has suffered two severe floods in less than a week, with the stadium submerged twice in five days. The ministry said the funds would go towards meeting urgent needs, including search and rescue operations, relocation of affected residents, temporary living assistance, and rebuilding of damaged homes. Authorities said the support would help restore daily life and economic activity as quickly as possible in the worst-hit communities. Extreme rainfall and severe flooding, increasingly linked by experts to the climate crisis, are testing China's ageing flood defences and threatening its vast agricultural heartland. Last year, economic losses from similar storms exceeded £7bn. The national meteorological centre forecasts more storms across the north and the west even as the east coast bakes under a scorching sun.
Al Jazeera
03-07-2025
- Climate
- Al Jazeera
China's north and west on red alert for heavy rains after deadly floods
Northern and western China remain on high alert as torrential rain threatens to bring more flash flooding and landslides, following weather-related deaths in other parts of the country. Red alerts were in force on Thursday as rains made their way to Gansu province in the northwest and then up to Liaoning province in the northeast. The weather warnings came as more than 1,000 rescue workers were sent on Wednesday to Taiping, a town in the central Henan province, where five people died and three were declared missing after a river burst its banks, according to state media. Another state media report confirmed that two people were killed by a landslide at a construction site in Gansu after heavy rain on Wednesday and Thursday. Meanwhile, a record summer downpour hit the city of Xianfeng in China's central province of Hubei, bringing more than a month's rain in just 12 hours, with local videos showing torrents washing away cars. On Tuesday, the authorities there evacuated 18,000 people, closed schools and suspended bus services. During a two-day trip to the northern province of Hebei, China's Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing urged local officials to ramp up the scale of evacuations. Although China has a nationwide system to forecast and monitor severe weather, scientists say it is hard to make localised predictions, especially in rural communities that lack forecasting capabilities. 'Accurately forecasting the intensity and exact location of heavy rain remains challenging, especially with climate change and the complex terrain of rural areas,' Meng Gao, a climate modelling specialist at Hong Kong Baptist University, told the Reuters news agency earlier this week. Last July, the 'plum rains', which coincide with the plum-ripening season, caused more than $10bn in economic losses in China.
