China flexes its arms yet again

Vineet Tripathi

Last updated on November 24, 2010 20:10 IST

The Chinese fling surprises in a manner that the world feels aghast. They are inured to a way of life that is clouded by clandestine and surreptitious activities defying proper comprehension. The latest Chinese moves vis-à-vis India are its designs of constructing rail link touching the contentious border area of Arunachal Pradesh and construction of the world’s biggest dam on the river Brahmputra.

Apart from developing rail links in Tibetan areas which includes extension of the Lhasa rail link to Xigage near Tibet’s border with Nepal, China is simultaneously working on bringing its rail link right up to Nyangtri- located on the border with Arunachal Pradesh and an area which China claims as its own. This assertiveness on the part of China is sufficient to raise the eyebrows of Indian officials.

Nyangtri is also the site where the Brahmaputra is proposed to be diverted northwards by the Chinese. China proposes to build the largest dam in the world at this spot. Brahmputra rises in Lake Mansarovar in Tibet and enters India through The Great Bend near Nyangtri. By building this dam, China plans to divert 200 billion cusec meters of water every year to the cities of north eastern region of Shaanxi, Hebei, Beijing and Tianjin.

The Great Bend is the place where the Brahmputra takes a decisive turn and flows towards India. China proposes to build as many as six dams in addition to a dozen it has already constructed. Experts fear that construction of a dam on the middle reaches of Brahmputra at Zangmo in China may slowly turn biodiversity rich Assam and Arunachal Pradesh into semi-arid areas and deplete the ground water table. It may be mentioned here that India does not have any water sharing treaty with China in contrast to Pakistan.

Strategic affairs expert Brahma Chellaney describes the rail link to Nyangtri as a significant new development. “The building of railways in this area is significant for two reasons: China’s plan to construct the world’s largest dam at this place and also because it will strengthen China’s rapid military deployment ability in the eastern (Arunachal) sector. These issues are likely to figure prominently during the visit of Chinese premier Wen Jia Bao to India in the mid of next month. (December)

China’s focus on expanding its railways south of Lhasa is alarming also because of the reports that for the first time earlier this year ‘combat readiness material’ meant for the Chinese air force was transported to the region through the Tibetan rail link. The Chinese army recently reported that China conducted its first major parachute exercise in Tibet to demonstrate its capability to rapidly deploy troops on the world’s highest plateau.

The two Asian giants have a history of border disputes and other contentious issues. The two countries had fought a war also in 1962 on the Arunachal border issue which India lost. The relations between these countries since then have been of mistrust and suspicion. Recently, China vetoed an aid from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to India for the development of Arunachal Pradesh.