Chinese premier announces construction of Yarlung Zangbo hydropower project

Chinese Premier Li Qiang announced Saturday the start of the construction of a hydropower project in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region.

Li, also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the announcement while attending the groundbreaking ceremony for the project in Nyingchi City of Xizang.

State Councilor Wu Zhenglong chaired the ceremony.

The groundbreaking ceremony took place at the dam site of Nyingchi's Mainling hydropower station. Representatives from various organizations, including the National Development and Reform Commission and the Power Construction Corporation of China, spoke at the ceremony.

The ceremony was also attended by members of an expert advisory committee for the construction of the hydropower project, as well as representatives of local residents.

The project will consist of five cascade hydropower stations, with a total investment estimated at around 1.2 trillion yuan (about 167.8 billion U.S. dollars).

The project will primarily deliver electricity for external consumption while also addressing local demand in Xizang.

China aims to reach a carbon peak by 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060.

The project is of great importance to reaching China's carbon peak and carbon neutrality goals and coping with global climate change.

By harnessing the abundant hydropower resources of the Yarlung Zangbo River, the project is expected to spur the development of solar and wind energy resources in the surrounding areas, thus creating a clean energy base featuring a complementary mix of hydro, wind and solar power.

A ceremony has recently been held in Beijing to inaugurate the China Yajiang Group Co., Ltd. for the smooth construction and operation of the hydropower project.

Chinese premier announces construction of Yarlung Zangbo hydropower project

Chinese premier announces construction of Yarlung Zangbo hydropower project

Chinese premier announces construction of Yarlung Zangbo hydropower project

The U.S.-Israel war against Iran entered its 30th day on Sunday, with fresh airstrikes hitting Tehran, the capital of Iran, and other locations.

Since Saturday, Tehran has experienced multiple rounds of large-scale airstrikes, with the most recent occurring at around 09:00 on Sunday, resulting in explosions heard in the eastern part of the city, according to a China Media Group (CMG) reporter in the capital.

Officials in Khuzestan Province in southwestern Iran said on Saturday night that a water storage system with a capacity of 10,000 cubic meters was attacked by U.S. and Israeli forces. Fortunately, this attack did not result in casualties, and the local drinking water supply remained unaffected.

The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) warned on Sunday that Israeli and U.S. universities in the region will become legitimate targets following recent U.S-Israeli strikes that destroyed two Iranian universities. All staff, students, and nearby residents were urged to vacate the areas surrounding these institutions.

The IRGC also said that if the U.S. government does not wish for its universities to be retaliated against, it should issue an official statement condemning attacks on Iranian universities by noon on Monday. Otherwise, the threat will be enacted.

The Pentagon is reportedly preparing for a weeks-long ground operation in Iran, as thousands of U.S. soldiers and Marines arrive in the Middle East for what could become a dangerous new phase of the war, should U.S. President Donald Trump choose to escalate, the Washington Post reported on Saturday.

Saturday also saw Yemen's Houthi group joining the conflict, further complicating the evolving situation in the Middle East.

Fresh airstrikes hit Iran as US-Israeli attacks enter 30th day