Using the dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo to share electricity could carry \u2018significant strategic value\u2019 for Beijing, analysts say.<\/b>
\nChina\u2019s latest mega dam on the Tibetan Plateau could help draw neighbouring countries closer into its economic orbit by supplying electricity and boosting growth, analysts have argued.
According to some estimates, the dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo will be the world\u2019s biggest, producing up to 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity each year, three times the output of the Three Gorges Dam.
State news agency Xinhua said over the weekend that its output would \u201cprimarily deliver electricity for external consumption\u201d but would also meet local demand in Tibet.
But the project has drawn concerns about the impact on water supply and ecological risks downstream in India and Bangladesh, where the river is known as the Brahmaputra, although Beijing has said it was not seeking to benefit at the \u201cexpense of its neighbours\u201d.
India is also worried about Beijing\u2019s efforts to strengthen its influence in South Asia, and Chinese observers said the project could help increase its sway over countries such as Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and Bangladesh, which have long struggled with power shortages.
The project \u201cwill undoubtedly become a major power hub for surrounding countries and related neighbouring regions\u201d, according to Zhu Feng, dean of the school of international studies at Nanjing University.<\/p>\n