Country
Laos
Laos Prepares to Welcome Foreign Tourists From January 1
By Sebastian Strangio
The limited opening ends an 18-month shutdown that has had serious impacts on the country's economy.
Laos Unlocked
By Nicholas Bosoni
A trip on the maiden journey of the $5.9 billion Laos-China Railway.
Laos-China Railway Inaugurated Amid Mounting Debt Concerns
By Sebastian Strangio
The $5.9 billion railway, an impressive feat of Chinese engineering, is set to tie Laos ever closer to its northern neighbor.
What Chinese Dams in Laos Tell Us About the Belt and Road Initiative
By Phillip Guerreiro
Analyzing Chinese dams in Laos provides insight into the local origins and drivers of the BRI, particularly along China’s borderland regions.
In Rare Three-Party Conclave, Vietnam Pushes Back Against Growing Chinese Influence
By Sebastian Strangio
Hanoi is becoming increasingly unnerved by the growing Chinese influence over its longstanding clients, Cambodia and Laos.
Laos Tightens COVID-19 Restrictions as Infections Reach New Peak
By Sebastian Strangio
Like many of its neighbors, the nation has struggled to contain recent outbreaks of the Delta variant of COVID-19.
Despite Crime Concerns, Laos Authorizes Cryptocurrency Trial
By Sebastian Strangio
But little good will come from authorizing the mining and trading of the volatile digital currencies.
Giant Buddha Statue Plan Rankles Residents of Laos’ Capital: Report
By Sebastian Strangio
A Chinese firm's plans to build a 100-meter-high Buddha statue in low-lying Vientiane encapsulate China's outsized economic presence in Laos.
Laos-China Railway on Track for December Opening: Official
By Sebastian Strangio
The completion of the railway will deepen China's influence over the landlocked nation of seven million.
The Threat of a Dam Disaster in Luang Prabang
By Tom Fawthrop
The dam near Luang Prabang - both a World Heritage site and an seismically active zone - is “an irresponsible gamble,” experts argue.
Laos Seizes Record Meth Haul Amid Regional Production Boom
By Sebastian Strangio
This week's 17 million tablet haul amounts to nearly the entire recorded seizures for last year.
On China’s Doorstep, Laos Plays a Careful Game of Balancing
By Kearrin Sims
China's influence is growing in Laos, but the country's foreign relations present a more complex picture.