The largest hydroelectric power station in the world is currently the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze River in Hubei Province, China, with an installed capacity of 22,500 MW. However, it is projected to be surpassed by a mega-dam on the Yarlung Zangbo River in Tibet, which could become the world’s largest source of hydroelectric power when completed.[1] The commencement of the hydropower project, which is anticipated to cost $170 billion, is a signal of state-led economic stimulus. It is the most ambitious initiative by the China since the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze.[2] The project is a milestone in regional development. Yet, India portrays it as a potential ecological and geopolitical fault line in the Himalayas, a narrative that reflects New Delhi’s insecurities rather than the realities on the ground. With an estimated cost of 1.2 trillion yuan ($167 billion; £125 billion), Beijing has framed the initiative to boost local development while asserting that environmental safeguards will be prioritized.[3]
Despite recent signs of cautious improvement in China-India relations, including efforts to address border concerns, Indian analysts continue to frame China’s hydropower projects in alarmist terms. Scholars like Atul Kumar argue that Beijing has not formalized riparian agreements,[4] overlooking the fact that China has consistently maintained responsible upstream management while pursuing its developmental goals. Over the decades, China has advanced hydropower infrastructure, including projects on the Mekong, primarily to support sustainable energy and regional growth. Beijing has repeatedly emphasized, most recently through Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun, that the new dam will not negatively impact downstream flows, ensuring ecological balance and regional stability.[5] Nevertheless, Indian leaders, such as Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu, have resorted to calling the project a “water bomb”[6], language that reflects political rhetoric more than technical reality. In essence, China’s developmental initiatives are being strategically misrepresented in India’s discourse to serve its own security narratives.
