Pakistan, July 21 -- China's Premier Li Qiang announced the start of construction on the world's largest hydropower dam. The project will be built on the eastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau. This new dam is China's biggest since the Three Gorges Dam. The government expects it to produce 300 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity every year. This amount equals the electricity used by Britain in one year. The project will cost at least $170 billion and is seen as a major economic boost.

The dam will include five hydropower stations along the Yarlung Zangbo River. The river drops 2,000 meters over 50 kilometers, creating strong power potential. China says the project passed strict scientific checks and will not harm the environment or neighb...