Description: China’s Premier Li Qiang announced the start of the project Motuo Hydropower Station, where China would construct the world’s largest hydropower dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo river in the autonomous region of Tibet. The project, costing $170 billion, has been hailed as the sustainable energy initiative of the century, by the Chinese Premier, however, serious concerns have been raised by India and Bangladesh which would be severely affected by the damming of the river which flows southward into their territory. India and Bangladesh have separately protested the development of the project, stating irrigation concerns, impact on the biodiverse environment and even the weaponization of the water. The dam would produce approximately 300 billion megawatts of energy which would be subsequently distributed towards China’s eastern energy – demanding regions.
Impact: China’s hydropower project effectively constructs an economic codependency with countries which have proven to have ambiguous strategic interests in the region. If the development of the project moves forward, China would be able to condition key revenue streams in India and Bangladesh, such as irrigation capacities and agriculture, forcing both countries to establish closer strategic ties with the world’s second largest economy. The project could potentially create escalation of regional tensions, as both India and Bangladesh are expected to protest the development and possibly halt the initiative in its entirety as it contradicts their national interests and economic stability.