01-23-2018, 11:19 PM
*** 24-Jan-18 World View -- China's Mekong River dams criticized for affecting other countries' livelihoods
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
****
**** China's Mekong River dams criticized for affecting other countries' livelihoods
****
![[Image: g180123b.jpg]](http://Media.GenerationalDynamics.com/ww2010/g180123b.jpg)
Floating marketplace in Mekong delta in Vietnam
Multiple dams and hydropower projects being built in China on the
Lancang Jiang River, which becomes the Mekong River when it leaves
China, are having a significant effect on the livelihoods and living
conditions of millions of people along the Mekong River in downstream
countries. The Mekong originates on China's Tibetan plateau and flows
over 4,000 km through southern China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand,
Cambodia and Vietnam.
China has already built six dams along the river, and 11 more are
under construction, with 28 more dams planned in the future. These
large dams upset the ecosystem and threaten the livelihoods for an
estimated 60 million farmers and fishermen living in the lower Mekong
basin, where it nurtures one of the world’s most fertile areas for
agriculture and fishing. Thailand and Vietnam are among the world’s
largest producers of food commodities like rice. Not only do China's
dams affect the water available for irrigation, they disrupt the
migration of fish and block the flow of silt downstream that sustains
riverine environments.
However, this goes beyond ecology. These dams give China control over
the Mekong River, which means that China cause use them as leverage to
control much of the economy of Southeast Asia.
The dispute over the Mekong River is similar to the dispute over the
South China Sea. In the South China Sea, China is using its massive
military power to threaten its neighbors, to annex regions belonging
to other nations, and to build military bases that were declared
illegal by the United Nations Permanent Court of Arbitration in the
Hague, which eviscerated all of China's claims in the South China Sea.
So now a similar dynamic is occurring along the Mekong River. China
has been building these dams and hydroelectric projects without
concern for the five downstream nations. Furthermore, China controls
water flow according to its own needs, even if it means starving or
flooding downstream inhabitants. China's attitude towards its
neighbors is not surprising. After all, China displaced millions of
its own people to build the Three Gorges Dam, so China's leaders
really couldn't care less about people in other countries.
China's dams have been blamed for several droughts along the Mekong
delta in recent years. China claims that those droughts were all
caused by natural weather changes, but the perception remains that
China is causing the droughts. Furthermore, China's dam building has
negatively affected fishery stocks in the river. Once again, China
claims it's not responsible, but when fishermen are unable to fish,
they are going to blame China.
China's plans don't stop there. China is using its control of the
water as leverage to force downstream countries to allow it to clear
small islands and land features along the entire length of the river,
calling this "navigation channel improvement." This will permit
commercial and military vessels weighing up to 500 metric tons to
travel along the river from China to the South China Sea.
In 1995, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam formed the Mekong River
Commission (MRC) as a forum for managing changes to the river. China
refused to join the MRC, to avoid being bound by its requirement that
developments require consultations with the other members. Instead,
China in 2015 formed a new organization of the four MRC nations plus
Myanmar, the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC), which it controls.
South China Morning Post and Foreign Policy and Jamestown and Cambodia Daily (17-Jan-2017)
Related Articles
****
**** In policy shift, US sides with Indonesia in South China Sea over Natuna Sea
****
As we reported in September, Indonesia announced that it would rename
the part of the South China Sea within its own exclusive economic zone
(EEZ) as the "North Natuna Sea," causing China to throw a temper
tantrum. ( "10-Sep-17 World View -- China demands that Indonesia end plans to rename its own territorial waters"
)
The US has so far stayed completely out of this particular dispute,
but on Tuesday US Secretary of Defense James Mattis, in a meeting in
Jakarta with Indonesia's Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu, said the
United States would help Indonesia play a central role in the region,
and would help it to maintain maritime security in the "North Natuna
Sea." This use of the phrase "North Natuna Sea" is being considered a
US endorsement of Indonesia's position.
It should be noted that the waters under discussion here are part of
Indonesia's EEZ, but are far, far, far away from China. Most of
China's claims have been labeled as invalid by the United Nations
Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague, but this particular claim
by China is clearly completely delusional, as can be seen on any map.
The Trump administration is becoming increasingly confrontational with
China's illegal claims in the South China Sea. There are regular
FONOPs (Freedom of navigation operations) in the South China Sea,
where a US warship travels through international waters illegal
claimed by China, causing China to throw more temper tantrums. The
endorsement of Indonesia's claim to the "North Natuna Sea" is one more
step on that path. UPI and South China Morning Post
Related Articles
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Mekong River, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand,
Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Lancang Jiang River,
South China Sea, Three Gorges Dam,
Indonesia, North Natuna Sea, Jim Mattis, Ryamizard Ryacudu,
United Nations Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague,
Mekong River Commission, MRC, Lancang-Mekong Cooperation, LMC
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
This morning's key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com
- China's Mekong River dams criticized for affecting other countries' livelihoods
- In policy shift, US sides with Indonesia in South China Sea over Natuna Sea
****
**** China's Mekong River dams criticized for affecting other countries' livelihoods
****
Floating marketplace in Mekong delta in Vietnam
Multiple dams and hydropower projects being built in China on the
Lancang Jiang River, which becomes the Mekong River when it leaves
China, are having a significant effect on the livelihoods and living
conditions of millions of people along the Mekong River in downstream
countries. The Mekong originates on China's Tibetan plateau and flows
over 4,000 km through southern China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand,
Cambodia and Vietnam.
China has already built six dams along the river, and 11 more are
under construction, with 28 more dams planned in the future. These
large dams upset the ecosystem and threaten the livelihoods for an
estimated 60 million farmers and fishermen living in the lower Mekong
basin, where it nurtures one of the world’s most fertile areas for
agriculture and fishing. Thailand and Vietnam are among the world’s
largest producers of food commodities like rice. Not only do China's
dams affect the water available for irrigation, they disrupt the
migration of fish and block the flow of silt downstream that sustains
riverine environments.
However, this goes beyond ecology. These dams give China control over
the Mekong River, which means that China cause use them as leverage to
control much of the economy of Southeast Asia.
The dispute over the Mekong River is similar to the dispute over the
South China Sea. In the South China Sea, China is using its massive
military power to threaten its neighbors, to annex regions belonging
to other nations, and to build military bases that were declared
illegal by the United Nations Permanent Court of Arbitration in the
Hague, which eviscerated all of China's claims in the South China Sea.
So now a similar dynamic is occurring along the Mekong River. China
has been building these dams and hydroelectric projects without
concern for the five downstream nations. Furthermore, China controls
water flow according to its own needs, even if it means starving or
flooding downstream inhabitants. China's attitude towards its
neighbors is not surprising. After all, China displaced millions of
its own people to build the Three Gorges Dam, so China's leaders
really couldn't care less about people in other countries.
China's dams have been blamed for several droughts along the Mekong
delta in recent years. China claims that those droughts were all
caused by natural weather changes, but the perception remains that
China is causing the droughts. Furthermore, China's dam building has
negatively affected fishery stocks in the river. Once again, China
claims it's not responsible, but when fishermen are unable to fish,
they are going to blame China.
China's plans don't stop there. China is using its control of the
water as leverage to force downstream countries to allow it to clear
small islands and land features along the entire length of the river,
calling this "navigation channel improvement." This will permit
commercial and military vessels weighing up to 500 metric tons to
travel along the river from China to the South China Sea.
In 1995, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam formed the Mekong River
Commission (MRC) as a forum for managing changes to the river. China
refused to join the MRC, to avoid being bound by its requirement that
developments require consultations with the other members. Instead,
China in 2015 formed a new organization of the four MRC nations plus
Myanmar, the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation (LMC), which it controls.
South China Morning Post and Foreign Policy and Jamestown and Cambodia Daily (17-Jan-2017)
Related Articles
- Burma (Myanmar) suspends dam project in major break with China (03-Oct-2011)
- Instability in Xinjiang causes China to threaten Pakistan (09-Jan-2012)
****
**** In policy shift, US sides with Indonesia in South China Sea over Natuna Sea
****
As we reported in September, Indonesia announced that it would rename
the part of the South China Sea within its own exclusive economic zone
(EEZ) as the "North Natuna Sea," causing China to throw a temper
tantrum. ( "10-Sep-17 World View -- China demands that Indonesia end plans to rename its own territorial waters"
)
The US has so far stayed completely out of this particular dispute,
but on Tuesday US Secretary of Defense James Mattis, in a meeting in
Jakarta with Indonesia's Defense Minister Ryamizard Ryacudu, said the
United States would help Indonesia play a central role in the region,
and would help it to maintain maritime security in the "North Natuna
Sea." This use of the phrase "North Natuna Sea" is being considered a
US endorsement of Indonesia's position.
It should be noted that the waters under discussion here are part of
Indonesia's EEZ, but are far, far, far away from China. Most of
China's claims have been labeled as invalid by the United Nations
Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague, but this particular claim
by China is clearly completely delusional, as can be seen on any map.
The Trump administration is becoming increasingly confrontational with
China's illegal claims in the South China Sea. There are regular
FONOPs (Freedom of navigation operations) in the South China Sea,
where a US warship travels through international waters illegal
claimed by China, causing China to throw more temper tantrums. The
endorsement of Indonesia's claim to the "North Natuna Sea" is one more
step on that path. UPI and South China Morning Post
Related Articles
- China demands that Indonesia end plans to rename its own territorial waters (10-Sep-2017)
- Turkey begins invasion of Syria while China lies about 'indisputable sovereignty' (21-Jan-2018)
- Philippines humiliates China in harsh Hague Tribunal ruling over South China Sea (13-Jul-2016)
KEYS: Generational Dynamics, Mekong River, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand,
Cambodia, Vietnam, China, Lancang Jiang River,
South China Sea, Three Gorges Dam,
Indonesia, North Natuna Sea, Jim Mattis, Ryamizard Ryacudu,
United Nations Permanent Court of Arbitration in the Hague,
Mekong River Commission, MRC, Lancang-Mekong Cooperation, LMC
Permanent web link to this article
Receive daily World View columns by e-mail
Contribute to Generational Dynamics via PayPal
John J. Xenakis
100 Memorial Drive Apt 8-13A
Cambridge, MA 02142
Phone: 617-864-0010
E-mail: john@GenerationalDynamics.com
Web site: http://www.GenerationalDynamics.com
Forum: http://www.gdxforum.com/forum
Subscribe to World View: http://generationaldynamics.com/subscribe
