India's approach to China's dam on Brahmaputra useful illustration of strategic thinking: Report
Taipei, July 25
India's approach to China's dam on Yarlung Tsangpo, the upper course of the Brahmaputra River, reflects how New Delhi seeks to exercise strategic autonomy, a report has stated.
This transboundary river has been brought to the centre of Sino-Indian strategic competition with China's launch of construction on the Lower Yarlung Tsangpo Hydropower Project, last year.
"India's approach to the Yarlung Tsangpo is not merely a passive response to China. Rather, it reflects how India seeks to exercise strategic autonomy by responding to a changing strategic environment while redefining its regional role," a report in 'Taipei Times' detailed.
It noted that India, which did not respond with a "dam for dam" engineering race, has two water governance approaches where one treats water resources as an extension of strategic capability while the other highlights institutional cooperation as a means of managing uncertainty.
"Whether during the Cold War or today's US-China strategic competition, India's pursuit of strategic autonomy does not imply a rejection of power politics. Rather, it is about retaining the ability to define its own national interests and choose its own development path amid major-power competition," the report mentioned.
As much of the Brahmaputra basin lies in Indian territory, India has pursued a series of basin development projects in Arunachal Pradesh. These initiatives are intended to regulate river flow, improve flood management and enhance resilience against external shocks.
"In the past few years, India's strategic autonomy in the Russia-Ukraine war, its security calculations during the India-Pakistan conflict and its engagement with the US amid tariff policies have each generated different narratives about Indian foreign policy. Yet the more such events unfold, the harder India becomes to understand, because events can describe India's behaviour, but cannot fully explain the strategic thinking that underpins it," highlighted the report, saying "The Yarlung Tsangpo offers a useful illustration of this strategic thinking at the regional level."
— IANS
Reader Comments
Interesting take from Taipei Times. I do hope our government is quietly negotiating with China on data sharing and early warning systems for floods. The dams upstream can cause havoc downstream during monsoons. Not everything needs to be a public showdown. 🤔
Respectful critique: While strategic autonomy sounds great, I worry we're being too passive. China's dam construction on the Tsangpo gives them immense leverage over water flow to Bangladesh and our northeast. We need more concrete bilateral agreements, not just philosophical positioning. The people of Assam and Arunachal are vulnerable.
As someone watching from the US, India's nuanced approach makes sense. Avoiding a 'dam race' preserves diplomatic space while building internal capacity. Smart play for a rising power. The report's point about India being hard to understand is exactly right—it's the hallmark of a mature foreign policy. 👍
Basin development in Arunachal Pradesh is crucial. But let's not forget the environmental impact and the rights of local indigenous communities. If we're building dams, we must ensure proper resettlement and ecological safeguards. Strategic autonomy shouldn't come at the cost of our own people and rivers. 🌊
It's refreshing to see a country not fall into the trap of mirroring its rival's moves. China builds because it can; India builds when it should. That's genuine autonomy. The 'dam for dam' mentality would just escalate tensions and drain resources. Well played, India.
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.