Prime Minister Manmohan Singh took the opportunity at the BRICS summit in Durban to raise with Chinese President Xi-Jinping the issue of Beijing’s plan to build three dams on the Brahmaputra and asked for a joint mechanism to be put in place to assess the constructions in Tibet. The question of trans-border river systems came up. On the water issue, Singh had talks with the Chinese President face to face for the first time since Xi took over. President Xi assured Singh that his country was aware of its responsibilities and the interest of the lower riparian countries like India. The idea of a joint mechanism had been floated by Indian officials earlier but this is the first time that Manmohan Singh spoke of it. New Delhi is apprehensive that the three dams will affect water flow to India. China says that it is just a run-of-the-mill project that will have no adverse impact on the Indian borderland. Singh has expressed his lack of concern saying that the Chinese point of view on the dams is acceptable. India and China have an agreement on the sharing of data on the Brahmaputra water though not on the sharing of water.
The two leaders pledged to take Sino-Indian ties on to a ‘higher growth trajectory’. Singh said that the bilateral relationship with China was very important to India. There has been a change of guard in Beijing after a decade. Singh hopes to intensify dialogue and communications with the giant neighbour. The problem is that the bone of contention over the South China Sea issue was not touched upon in Durban. It will therefore be optimistic to think that it is Hindi-Chini Bhai Bhai. However, it is good that the Brahmaputra dams in Tibet have been underplayed. Singh avoided discord over Tibet’s feud with China. The Northeastern states of India may be relieved by the easing of tension on the Brahmaputra dams.
