    Dams threaten China's 'Grand Canyon of the east'   Chinese
environmental groups warn that government plans for a slew of
hydroelectric dams on the pristine Salween (Nu) river - often
called the Grand Canyon of the east for its deep valleys and
sweeping views - could jeopardise biodiverse ecosystems and
indigenous cultures, and lead to potentially catastrophic
seismic events.  China's state council released a notice last
week revealing plans to proceed with over 60 new hydroelectric
projects on three major rivers under the government's 12th five-
year plan, from 2011 to 2015. Four of the projects lie on the
upper reaches of the Salween.  Plans to build a cascade of 13
dams on the Salween - China's last free-flowing river - stalled
nearly a decade ago under opposition from environmental groups
and outgoing premier Wen Jiabao, an ostensible populist and
trained geologist.  Five projects are being developed by the
state-owned Huadian Group, according to the California-based NGO
International Rivers. The compan