India conveys concerns to China over hydropower dam in Tibet

NEW DELHI: India’s foreign ministry said on Friday that New Delhi has conveyed its concerns to Beijing about China’s plan to build a hydropower dam in Tibet on the Yarlung Zangbo river which flows into India.

Chinese officials say that hydropower projects in Tibet will not have a major impact on the environment or on downstream water supplies but India and Bangladesh have nevertheless raised concerns about the dam.

The Yarlung Zangbo becomes the Brahmaputra river as it leaves Tibet and flows south into India’s Arunachal Pradesh and Assam states and finally into Bangladesh.

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Meanwhile, India is aiming to strengthen economic ties with US, engage with Trump administration, India’s trade minister Piyush Goyal told reporters in New Delhi on Friday.

“We are looking forward to a very deep and substantive engagement with the new US administration,” the trade minister said, noting that under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has bolstered bilateral relations with successive US administrations, including those led by Barack Obama, Donald Trump and Joe Biden.

Bilateral trade between India and US, India’s largest trading partner, exceeded $118 billion in 2023/24, with India registering a trade surplus of $32 billion.

Industry estimates suggest that trade could grow by an additional $50 billion within two to three years, underscoring significant potential for stronger economic cooperation.

The government and industry groups favour a broader trade and investment pact with the United States to help Indian manufacturers integrate into global supply chains while retaining policy flexibility to safeguard national interests.

Goyal said that India’s goods and services trade is projected to surpass $800 billion in the 2024/25 fiscal year, ending March.

While aiming to protect its manufacturers from potential US tariff hikes on its exports, India is exploring ways to strengthen ties with Washington as Trump has threatened tariffs of 60 per cent and other curbs on imports from China.