China has consistently denied Brahmaputra dam construction: FS

New Delhi, Nov 4 (PTI) India has repeatedly raised with
China the issue of construction of a dam by them on
Brahmaputra river and it has consistently denied any such
engagement, India's Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said on
Wednesday.
"What I want to say is that this matter has been taken up
not just once but on a number of occasions with China and
China has consistently denied that it is engaged in any such
construction activity on the Brahmaputra," she said here.
She was replying to a question on the reported
construction at the Zangmu site on the Chinese side of the
Brahmaputra river, which was confirmed by the National Remote
Sensing Agency (NRSA) as per media reports.
The issue also figured in the meeting between Prime
Minister Manmohan Singh and his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao
on the sidelines of the ASEAN-India and East Asia Summit in
Thailand last month.
Describing India-China relations as "complex", Rao said
the dialogue with that country will acquire "more substance
and more relevance" in the years to come.
She said the two countries will also be able to resolve
all outstanding issues including the boundary matter through
proper mechanism.
Asked about China's reaction to the Dalai Lama's visit to
Tawang, she said there was no "strain" in the relationship and
that was very evident at various levels including the recent
meeting between the two Prime Ministers. PTI PYK
JVN