What happened:
On January 2, 2026, China confirmed the launch of a major hydropower project on the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo River in Tibet, announced by President Xi Jinping in his New Year address. The project in Medog County, near the India–China border, has raised environmental and transparency concerns, especially given the river’s importance as the Brahmaputra downstream.
Why it matters to India:
The project poses potential risks to downstream water security and ecology in the Brahmaputra basin and carries strategic implications for India, as control over a transboundary river could be used as geopolitical leverage.