Chinese president's first visit to Tibet dangerous for India: US MP

New York, Ta. 27

Chinese President Xi Jinping shocked the world last week by visiting the strategically important Tibetan city of Ningchi, near Arunachal Pradesh. Xi Jinping made his first trip to Tibet since becoming president last Wednesday. Jinping's visit is dangerous for India, said Devin Nunes, an influential US Republican lawmaker. In addition, experts have warned that the world's largest dam being built by China on the Brahmaputra River could have adverse effects on India and Bangladesh.

Jinping held a meeting with top military officials in Lhasa last week on his first trip to Tibet, including the southern Tibetan city of Ningchi, and asked them to keep troops ready for battle at any time. He also reviewed development plans in Tibet. However, US Congressman David Nunes has described Jinping's visit as "dangerous" for India. He told Fox News that Chinese dictator Jinping claimed victory by touring Tibet near the Indian border last week. I think this is the first time in the last 20 years that a Chinese dictator has visited Tibet. This is a dangerous thing for a nuclear-armed India with a population of over one billion.

China is building a hydroelectric project by building the world's largest dam on the Yarlung Sengpo River. This project could lead to water supply crisis in India and Bangladesh. During his trip to Ningchi, Xi Jinping visited the Nyang River Bridge to review ecological conservation in the Brahmaputra River Valley. The city of Ningchi in Tibet is very close to the border with Arunachal Pradesh. China considers Arunachal Pradesh to be part of southern Tibet, but India has always strongly opposed it.

The U.S. lawmaker said the fact is that China is moving forward and that President Biden's administration is allowing it to do whatever it wants. China has been accused of suppressing cultural and religious freedom in Tibet, but China has denied the allegations. The Tibetan city of Ningchi came under discussion in June when China launched its first bullet train here. The speed of this bullet train is 120 km per hour. And it runs on a single line electric line covering a distance of 4.5 km. The high-speed train passes through all 31 provincial cities in mainland China. India's concern is heightened by China's rapid development of its infrastructure near Arunachal Pradesh.

Not only American lawmakers but also experts have criticized China's hydropower project on the Yarlung Sengpo River. China's project will have a detrimental effect on countries along the river. The Yarlung Sengpo River flows from southeastern Mount Kailash to Mansarovar in Tibet. It descends from the South Tibet Valley in the lowlands and flows into the Brahmaputra River in Arunachal Pradesh and Assam in India. This river is called Jamuna in Bangladesh.

Experts say a number of hydropower projects in China will reduce the water level of the Brahmaputra in India and Bangladesh, and there are fears that China could use the proposed dam to flood India and Bangladesh.