China Begins $167.8 Billion Brahmaputra Dam Construction In Tibet; India, Bangladesh Raise Concerns
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New Straits Times
7 minutes ago
- New Straits Times
China embarks on world's largest hydropower dam, capital markets cheer
HONG KONG/SHANGHAI: China's Premier Li Qiang announced construction had begun on what will be the world's largest hydropower dam, on the eastern rim of the Tibetan Plateau, at an estimated cost of at least US$170 billion, the official Xinhua news agency said. Commencement of the hydropower project, China's most ambitious since the Three Gorges Dam on the Yangtze, was seized by Chinese markets as proof of economic stimulus, sending stock prices and bond yields higher on Monday. Made up of five cascade hydropower stations with the capacity to produce 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity annually – equal to the amount of electricity consumed by Britain last year – the dam will be located in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo. A section of the river tumbles 2,000 metres (6,561 feet) in a span of 50km (31 miles), offering huge hydropower potential. India and Bangladesh have already raised concerns about its possible impact on the millions of people downstream, while NGOs warned of the risk to one of the richest and most diverse environments on the plateau. Beijing has said the dam will help meet power demand in Tibet and the rest of China without having a major effect on downstream water supplies or the environment. Operations are expected sometime in the 2030s. China's CSI Construction & Engineering Index jumped as much as 4 per cent to a seven-month high. Power Construction Corporation of China and Arcplus Group PLC surged by their 10 per cent daily limit. "From an investment perspective, mature hydropower projects offer bond-like dividends," Wang Zhuo, partner of Shanghai Zhuozhu Investment Management said, while cautioning that speculative buying into related stocks would inflate valuations. The project will drive demand for construction and building materials such as cement and civil explosives, Huatai Securities said in a note to clients. Shares of Beijing-listed Hunan Wuxin Tunnel Intelligent Equipment Co, which sells tunnel construction equipment, surged 30 per cent. So did shares of Geokang Technologies Co Ltd, which makes intelligent monitoring terminals. Cement maker Xizang Tianlu Co Ltd and Tibet GaoZheng Explosive Co, producer of civil explosive materials, both jumped their maximum 10 per cent. Broader impact The Chinese premier described the dam as a "project of the century" and said special emphasis "must be placed on ecological conservation to prevent environmental damage," Xinhua said on Saturday. Government bond yields rose across the board on Monday, with the most-traded 30-year treasury futures falling to five-week lows, as investors interpreted the news as part of China's economic stimulus. The project, overseen by the newly formed state-owned China Yajiang Group, marks a major boost in public investment to help bolster economic growth as current drivers show signs of faltering. "Assuming 10 years of construction, the investment/GDP boost could reach 120 billion yuan (US$16.7 billion) for a single year," said Citi in a note. "The actual economic benefits could go beyond that." China has not given an estimate on the number of jobs the project could create. The Three Gorges, which took almost two decades to complete, generated nearly a million jobs, state media reported, though it displaced at least a similar number of people. Authorities have not indicated how many people would be displaced by the Yarlung Zangbo project. The Yarlung Zangbo becomes the Brahmaputra River as it leaves Tibet and flows south into India and finally into Bangladesh. NGOs say the dam will irreversibly harm the Tibetan Plateau and hit millions of people downstream. The chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh, Pema Khandu, said earlier this year that such a colossal dam barely 50km from the border could dry out 80 per cent of the river passing through the Indian state while potentially inundating downstream areas in Arunachal and neighbouring Assam state. Some experts also express concerns for a project in a seismically active zone.
The Sun
7 minutes ago
- The Sun
Pearly-Thinaah failed to hit the heights in Japan Open final
KUALA LUMPUR: National doubles coaching director Rexy Mainaky has identified the reasons for women's doubles pair Pearly Tan-M. Thinaah's below-par performance en route to losing in the final of the 2025 Japan Open in Tokyo on Sunday. Pearly-Thinaah stumbled in their bid to become the first Malaysian women's doubles pair to land the Japan Open title when they went down 21-15, 21-14 to world number one and defending champions Liu Sheng Shu-Tan Ning of China at the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium. And from Rexy's observations, it was a combination of the Malaysian pair failing to hit the heights and the Chinese pair getting their tactics spot-on. Rexy said the way Pearly-Thinaah played in the final was the complete opposite of how they performed against Japan's Nami Matsuyama-Chiharu Shida in the semi-finals on Saturday. The Malaysians defeated Matsuyama-Shida 21-13, 21-11 with a near-perfect game to break their hoodoo against the home favourites, who had previously beaten them in 13 out of 14 encounters. It was, however, a different case altogether in the final against the Chinese hotshots, said Rexy. The Indonesian doubles expert said Sheng Shu-Tan Ning did not rush to score their points, built their momentum patiently and stuck to their well-structured game plan before striking at the right moments to put pressure on the Malaysians. 'They dragged Pearly and Thinaah away from the net and controlled the front of the net, making it very uncomfortable for the Malaysian girls. 'We must give the Chinese pair credit, they played really well, especially Tan Ning,' he told Bernama when contacted today. Yesterday's result also marked Pearly-Thinaah's ninth defeat in 12 meetings against the Paris 2024 Olympic Games silver medallists. Runners-up Pearly-Thinaah pocketed USD33,250 (about RM141,000) while champions Sheng Shu-Tan Ning walked away with USD70,300 (about RM298,000). World number three Pearly-Thinaah equalled the achievement of compatriots Wong Pei Tty-Chin Eei Hui, who also finished as runners-up in the 2008 edition. Pearly-Thinaah, the 2022 Commonwealth Games champions, have had a good season so far, winning the Thailand Open title in May and finishing second at the Indonesia Masters in January. Pearly-Thinaah will now shift their focus to the China Open 2025, where the third seeds are slated to meet teammates Ong Xin Yee-Carmen Ting in the first round at the Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium in Changzhou.
Daily Express
7 minutes ago
- Daily Express
Chinese national student charged with stabbing ex-girlfriend
Published on: Monday, July 21, 2025 Published on: Mon, Jul 21, 2025 By: Ho Kit Yen Text Size: You Wei (in mask), being escorted from the court to post bail, with his lawyer Revin Kumar (left). SHAH ALAM: A Chinese national student claimed trial in the sessions court here today to stabbing his ex-girlfriend last week. You Wei, 22, was charged with causing grievous hurt to the victim by stabbing her in the left side of her neck with a knife at a private university in Sunway on July 14. Advertisement The charge under Section 326 of the Penal Code is punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a fine or whipping, upon conviction. When the charge was read to You, he told the court that he understood but 'disagreed'. Deputy public prosecutor Nurul Sofea Jaysal urged the court not to grant bail to the student, saying he was a flight risk. The student's lawyer, Revin Kumar, said You was willing to comply with any bail conditions set by the court, including surrendering his passport and reporting to the police every month. 'He wants to answer this charge. He will be here as he is completing his studies,' he said. Revin added that You suffered from bipolar disorder and was currently taking medication for the illness. Judge Norazlin Othman allowed You to post bail of RM20,000 with two sureties. She also ordered him not to disturb the victim and other witnesses while awaiting trial, and to surrender his passport and report to the nearest police station every month. The court fixed Sept 17 for mention. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia
