Reuters
March 27, 2002

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said downstream countries should trust China to act responsibly in deciding on the Nu River dams: ‘The Chinese government is serious-minded, has rigorous policies and will be responsible.’

(excerpt)

Beijing: China will consider countries downstream as it weighs controversial proposals to dam a river that flows from the country’s remote southwest into Southeast Asia, an official said on Thursday.

On Wednesday, a Hong Kong-based newspaper controlled by the mainland said Chinese experts had recently completed an official environmental impact study of the 13 tiers of dams and hydro-power plants proposed for the untamed Nu River.

But the Chinese-language Wen Wei Po said the experts had proposed first developing hydro-plants at four points along the river to avoid environmental concerns.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan told reporters he could not confirm completion of the environmental assessment, but said China would take into account countries downstream, where the 2,000-km (1,250-mile) river is called the Salween.