China is playing saviour for Pakistan. This time, with water diplomacy
Chinese commentary repeatedly casts India as a hegemonic upstream actor leveraging its geographic position, while China is painted as a saviour, stabilising force, and Pakistan's indispensable partner in achieving water security. One Weibo post declares: 'India is a 'shameless' country with double-standards; on one hand, it fears China using its upstream position, but on the other, uses the same to pressure Pakistan.'
Last week, Chinese media announced that the Chinese-funded Mohmand Hydropower Project in Pakistan had entered its filling phase, a development heavily publicised and framed as a pointed signal to India. Coverage and posts across platforms like Baidu, Weibo, and WeChat present China's expanding role in Pakistan's water infrastructure not as routine cooperation but as a calculated counter to Indian influence . Headlines proclaim , 'China is helping Pakistan crack India's water strategy,' positioning Beijing as a hydropower ally in Pakistan's rivalry with India.
As overt military tensions between India and Pakistan subside, Chinese digital discourse is increasingly casting water as a frontline of strategic competition in the region.
Some commentary goes further, invoking national security rhetoric. A Baidu post warns, India's strike on the Chinese-built Neelum–Jhelum dam opens a new front, one that could internationalise the region's water tensions. India said Pakistan's claims of such an attack are a ''blatant lie'. Victor Gao, vice president of the Center for China and Globalization, remarked that 'water sharing among China, India, and Pakistan must be governed by international and treaty obligations, adding that third-party upstream nations may intervene if downstream flows are threatened.'
The tone on Chinese platforms is often combative. 'Pakistan is no longer afraid of being cut off from India!' posted one Weibo user, citing Chinese-backed dams as strategic shields. Another claimed, 'the war over water escalates! India provoked three times; Pakistan showed off its China-built dam, water crisis is history!' South Asia expert Long Xingchun commented that 'China's intervention was calibrated, supporting Pakistan without provoking open conflict with India. China stepped in this time to pinch the flame and prevent South Asia from blowing up.'
Also read: India needs to focus on winning in Kashmir, not fighting Pakistan
China's strategic framing
Projects like the Mohmand Dam are not framed as technical endeavours but as symbols of strategic alignment. Built by China Gezhouba Group Corporation, a subsidiary of China Energy Engineering Corporation, the dam's progress is widely celebrated in Chinese media and is described as China's commitment to Pakistan's infrastructure and energy resilience. Chinese reports emphasise its expected benefits: Irrigation for 16,700 hectares, annual generation of 2.86 billion kWh, and enhanced flood control and water supply.
One Chinese article posed the question: Have you ever thought a dam could be a shield for national security as well as a power source? It dubbed the Mohmand project Pakistan's 'water freedom guarantee'—a striking example of how hydropower is framed as strategic autonomy.
Chinese discourse around the Mohmand and Diamer–Bhasha dams frequently invoke Balochistan, implying that unrest there is part of a broader strategy to disrupt Chinese investments and derail the China–Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Some posts even claim that India is fuelling separatist sentiment in the region to weaken these infrastructure ventures.
However, a Chinese commentator argues, 'while Pakistan's reliance on the Indus River remains precarious, the situation is gradually improving thanks to its close ties with China. With strong Chinese backing, major water projects like the Diamer Bhasha Dam—often dubbed Pakistan's 'Three Gorges Project'—and the planned Kalabagh Dam are making steady progress.'
Criticism of India is a constant. A post from the South Asian Studies ewsletter, run by young scholars and commentators, asserts: 'India's 'water weapon' strategy is a double-edged sword—one that may exacerbate regional tensions and ultimately harm India's own interests. This notion of 'hydro-hegemony' has become central to how Chinese platforms frame India's water diplomacy.'
Also read: The next wars will be silent—fought with semiconductors, software, invisible lines of code
China showcases hydro diplomacy
Ultimately, China is using hydropower to assert soft and hard power in tandem. On social media and in state-run commentary, water infrastructure is depicted not merely as development assistance but as a tool of regional rebalancing. As one Weibo user asked, 'Can China rewrite the pattern of water distribution in South Asia?' Chinese discourse strongly suggests it can—and that it is already doing so.
These narratives portray China not only as Pakistan's all-weather partner but also as a regional power reshaping the region's hydro politics. For Beijing, water diplomacy serves both to bolster Pakistan's defences against Indian influence and to safeguard its investments and interests in the CPEC. For India, the prospect of a two-front challenge has rarely felt more concrete.
Sana Hashmi is fellow at the Taiwan-Asia Exchange Foundation. She tweets @sanahashmi1. Views are personal.
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
23 minutes ago
- The Hindu
BJP bringing up Katchatheevu issue to divert attention from Centre's failure to secure T.N. fishermen's rights: TNCC chief
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) president K. Selvaperunthagai on Saturday said the BJP was raking up the 50-year-old Katchatheevu issue to divert attention away from the Union government's failure to ensure Tamil fishermen don't face violence and harrassment from the Sri Lankan Navy. In a statement, Mr. Selvaperunthagai said External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar was trying to cover-up the actions of the Sri Lankan Navy against Tamil Nadu fishermen over the last 11 years of BJP rule at the Centre. He also clarified that Katchatheevu was not ceded to Sri Lanka during Emergency. 'The External Affairs Minister has made factually incorrect statements. Emergency was not in effect when the agreement [to cede the island] was signed on June 26, 1974. On July 23, 1974, the then External Affairs Minister Swaran Singh tabled a report in the Lok Sabha and addressed Parliament. All political parties, including the BJP, participated and voiced their opinions,' he said. 'After the Congress government, did Prime Minister Vajpayee, during his six-year tenure, or Prime Minister Modi, during his 11-year rule, ever hold talks with the Sri Lankan Prime Minister about reclaiming Katchatheevu? If Katchatheevu was truly the root cause of the fishermen's problems, the Indian government should have raised this with Sri Lanka,' Mr. Selvaperunthagai added. He said: 'Tamil Nadu fishermen are not arrested near Katchatheevu. Instead, they are arrested when they unintentionally cross the maritime boundary into Sri Lankan waters, especially during nighttime fishing. Therefore, the BJP government must hold talks with Sri Lanka to secure fishing rights in those waters based on the livelihoods of Tamil Nadu's fishermen.'
India.com
24 minutes ago
- India.com
China's big snub to US, issues license for THIS thing to European countries, Trump left in..., it is...
New Delhi: China has started issuing export licenses for rare earth elements and magnets to European companies. This has been confirmed by the South China Morning Post, citing sources in the European Union. This is being described as a big setback for the USA, as President Donald Trump has been trying his best to get this license from China for the last several months. Apart from this, European governments and companies have been lobbying for several weeks to reduce export restrictions from China. China imposed these restrictions in response to US President Donald Trump's tariffs. Apart from the US, European countries were also included in the Chinese sanctions. What did the Chinese Commerce Ministry say? Earlier on Thursday, June 26, China's Commerce Ministry said that it was 'expediting the approval of rare earth export licenses' for EU firms 'in accordance with the law.' Ministry spokesman He Yadong said, 'China is ready to further enhance communication with relevant countries on export controls, actively facilitating convenient and mutually beneficial trade.' EU sources have certainly said that there is no such thing as a green channel between China and the EU regarding this, but they have seen the Chinese ministry giving export licenses to EU countries and companies. What's next for China and European Union? Next month, a summit of China and the European Union leaders is going to be held. President Xi Jinping, Foreign Minister Wang Yi and senior EU leaders are going to meet in this conference. In such a situation, China's resumption of this license process can lead to easing of tense relations between the two sides. The European Union believes that they are caught in the middle of the trade and technological war of the two superpowers. In such a situation, they need a permanent solution to stay away from these matters. Speaking at a webinar on Thursday, the EU's trade chief for China, Eva Valle Lagares, used sharp words. She said it was 'unclear' whether Beijing had acted like 'killing chickens to scare away monkeys' and the EU had been caught in the crossfire. She was referring to the China-US trade war, which has Europe at its core and is suffering the most as it also faces tariffs from the Donald Trump administration.
India.com
24 minutes ago
- India.com
World's biggest deal has happened between two countries, to directly impact economy, millions of people will be...
World's biggest deal has happened between two countries, to directly impact economy, millions of people will be… US-China Trade Agreement: In a major development, a crucial agreement has been signed between the United States and China on the trade framework. Both countries finalised the terms that were discussed in Geneva. According to experts, the deal was done so quickly because America's economic condition is deteriorating at a fast pace, and GDP growth has plunged into negative territory. What Are The Major Points Of The Deal? As per the deal, Beijing will supply rare earth minerals to the US, essential for several sectors such as jet engines, wind turbines and electronics. In return, America agreed to remove all the trade restrictions, including all taxes. Notably, the US imposed trade tariffs on China before the London talks. US Trade Agreement America is planning to finalising trade agreements with as many as 10 major countries. These deals will be done before the reimposition of high tariffs. The deadline is July 9. A wave of happiness swept through global markets, as Asian stock markets and European futures saw a rise. Global equity index reached a new record, due to trade deal expectations. Who are the other potential trade partners of America and India? Global Markets Welcomed The Decision A wave of happiness has swept through global markets. Asian and European markets opened and remained in the green throughout the day on Friday. Global equity index reached a new record, due to trade deal expectations. Is US Planning Trade Deal With India? A delegation led by Rajesh Agarwal is negotiating the deal in Washington on behalf of the country. Recently, United States President Donald Trump hinted at a 'Big Deal' with India. However, Japan's trade representative Ryosei Akazawa has said that they cannot accept the 25% car tariff proposed by the US. ' We are continuously making serious efforts on the tariff proposals of the US,' Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said during a media briefing. What Complications Does US-China Deal Have? The deal between China and the US is not a comprehensive trade agreement. It means that the deal has several issued in it like – American exporters have a level playing field in the Chinese market. There are still concerns related to fentanyl drug trafficking. Another example is: US has allowed companies to export ethane gas to China, but with a condition that it cannot be exported there without approval. What Will Be The Impact On India? The new US-China trade deal includes steps like the supply of rare earth, reducing tariffs, and agreeing on new terms. It is crucial step towards reducing tensions between the two countries. However, in recent years, when the trade war between US-China was at its peak, India benefited. During the trade war, America had imposed tariffs on several Chinese goods. Following this Indian companies (such as textiles, pharma, engineering) got the opportunity to export their products. Now if America is agreeing on importing goods from China, some of India's export sectors may feel the heat. China Dominates The Supply Of Rare Earth Minerals It is worth noting that the Dragon dominates the rare earth minerals market. These minerals are used in electric vehicles, solar panels, chips and defence equipment. If China resumes the supply of rare earth to America, then India will also get the benefit of stability in prices. The United States is negotiating a potential trade agreement with ten nations, including a possible agreement with India. This agreement could grant India preferential trade access. Easing US-China tensions is boosting global investor confidence, potentially leading to increased foreign portfolio investment and stock market growth in India.
