While military skirmishes and diplomatic statements often take center stage, the real flashpoint may lie in resource control, especially over transboundary rivers. The online chatter among Chinese netizens reveals a growing perception of water as a strategic tool, and possibly, a weapon in regional power play.
Following India’s suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, Chinese netizens under the hashtag #IndiahascutofftheIndusRiverwater#, have voiced opinions generally against India and supportive of Pakistan. They say China should speed up construction of the dam on the Yarlung Zangbo in Tibet, that flows into India as the Brahmaputra.
While some noted that the Brahmaputra and its tributaries, including the Xiangquan River, originate in China, others explicitly demanded that Beijing ‘should cut off India’s water’. There is also the suggestion that if the dammed waters of the Yarlung Zangbo are released, it would cause severe flooding and devastation downstream.
“This is also one of the main reasons why India covets Tibet. Tibet is the water tower of Asia,” was the view of a netizen.
There is a vein of anti-Indian sentiment running through some of the posts. One netizen said he found India “annoying”, and on India revoking visas for Pakistani nationals, said they “stand strong with Pakistan”. Another posted that he was “waiting for India to collapse”.
Another hashtag buzzing on social media was #IndiaPakistanTensionRisesAgain. Netizens posted comments like, “When can I see the J-10C in a big fight against the Rafale?”
What started as a security incident in Kashmir, has now become an online space filled with strong emotions. The intensity and tone of the reaction suggest that China’s netizens do not see India as a friendly neighbour.
