3 October 2026

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<div>China’s Mekong water strategy fuels geopolitical tensions across Southeast Asia: Report</div>
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Asian Games: Pranavi Urs scripts history to clinch Golf gold, women team bag silver

3 October 2026 colorsnews.in

Kasugi, Oct 3 (IANS) Pranavi Urs has etched her name into the history books as she became the first Indian woman to win a gold medal in the individual stroke play with a superb performance during the four-day event at the Kasugai Country Club East Course.

Pranavi shot an even par 70 on the final day of the event to finish with 15-under 265 to win the gold medal. Pranavi also played a crucial role in helping the women’s team bag a silver medal with 14-under 546 after the four days.

While Pranavi won the gold, other Indians in the fray, Aditi Ashok and Diksha Dagar, finished 14th and joint 23rd, respectively. Aditi shot three-under 67 on Day 4 and ended two-over 282 at the end of the event, while Diksha carded seven-over on Day 4 and remained 12-over overall.

Yin Ruoning of China and Shannon Tan of Singapore bagged a joint silver medal for finishing on 14 under par.

Pranavi came into the final day with a three-stroke lead over the second-placed Tan. She had a horror outing on the third hole where she carded a triple bogey, which saw her drop to second place.

Pranavi then staged a comeback with three birdies on the sixth, 10th and 13th holes and took the lead before ending the 18th hole on even par to bag the gold.

The women’s team had a silver to celebrate as they carded 14-under 246 across the four days. This is India’s first medal in the women’s team event at the Asiad.

Pranavi and the women’s team fancied their chances of two medals on the final day. Ahead of the final day, Pranavi had a nine-stroke lead over the fourth-placed Sophie Han of Hong Kong (-6) but was aware not to let the advantage slip on the final day, as was seen with Aditi Ashok, who was first after Day 3 but slipped to second for a silver.

Aditi bagged a silver medal after dropping down from the first spot to the second on the final day.

–IANS

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China’s Mekong water strategy fuels geopolitical tensions across Southeast Asia: Report

3 October 2026 colorsnews.in

Naypyidaw, Oct 3 (IANS) China’s unwillingness to fully cooperate with its downstream neighbours has turned the nearly 4,900-km Mekong River into a battleground of geopolitics rather than a symbol of regional cooperation, a report has stated.

Flowing from the Tibetan Plateau through China’s Yunnan province into Southeast Asia, the river is more than a geographical feature, serving as a lifeline for over 60 million people across Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and Myanmar.

Despite its shared importance, the issue is not whether China can cooperate with downstream countries, but why it chooses not to, according to a report in Myanmar media outlet ‘Mizzima News’

“China’s behaviour toward upstream nations such as Kazakhstan and Mongolia stands in sharp contrast to its approach on the Mekong. With these northern neighbours, Beijing has signed binding water-sharing agreements and established joint commissions to manage rivers like the Irtysh and the Ili. The difference lies in strategic necessity: Kazakhstan and Mongolia are upstream, or midstream states themselves, and their water disputes directly affect China’s own border provinces, industrial hubs, and domestic stability,” the report detailed.

“Cooperation here is not framed as goodwill but as a matter of self-interest; China needs predictable flows to sustain Xinjiang’s border security, agriculture and industry, and it cannot afford prolonged disputes with countries that share sensitive borders. Thus, treaties and technical coordination become instruments of stability, ensuring China’s own water security while projecting an image of responsible regional leadership,” it added.

By contrast, the Mekong reflects a markedly different strategic calculus, with China occupying the dominant position as the upstream power and facing no existential threat from the downstream nations. Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam remain heavily dependent on the river, but their leverage is far weaker than that of countries such as Kazakhstan or Mongolia, the report mentioned.

“Beijing sees little incentive to bind itself to restrictive agreements when unilateral dam operations provide both hydropower benefits and geopolitical leverage. Cooperation is kept voluntary, symbolic, and selective, allowing China to retain maximum control while using water flows as a tool of influence in Southeast Asia. In short, China cooperates where its own security is at stake, as with Kazakhstan and Mongolia, but resists binding commitments where it can dominate, as on the Mekong,” it stated.

Highlighting the far-reaching consequences of China’s selective cooperation, the report warned that Vietnam’s rice bowl and Cambodia’s fisheries could face severe disruption if river flows remain unpredictable. It noted that declining sediment levels are also threatening biodiversity and accelerating erosion.

“Distrust in China’s intentions could destabilise ASEAN-China relations, undermining broader regional integration. With droughts and floods intensifying, unilateral dam operations will exacerbate vulnerabilities. The Mekong is no longer just a river; it is a geopolitical fault line where livelihoods, food security, and regional trust are at stake,” the report stated.

–IANS

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