🇮🇳🇨🇳 4 Long-Term Ripple Effects of the India-China Dam Standoff

The flow of water is deeply geopolitical

Feb 13, 2025

∙ Paid

In October 2024, India and China resolved a border flareup that began in 2020 during the height of the pandemic.

It was a significant moment for Asian stability, especially as North Korea’s decision to enter the Ukraine war on Russia's side rattled the region. The rapprochement came on the eve of the BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, signaling that BRICS was indirectly prodding nations to patch over differences.

However, three months later, the “new chapter” of India-China relations has entered a tense moment.

In December 2024, China approved a new super dam in Tibet, what Beijing refers to as the “Motuo Hydropower Station.” Once operational, it will be the largest dam in the world, a title that China already holds with the infamous “Three Gorges Dam.”