Country
Laos
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.
Laos Establishes Task Force to Police Social Media Platforms
By Sebastian Strangio
The Lao communist authorities fear that Facebook could become an incubator of anti-government sentiment.
Boten: the Renaissance of Laos’s Golden City
By Nicholas Bosoni
The one-time casino boom town on the Laos-China border is on the rise again, powered by billions in Chinese investment.
Laos Introduces Two-Week Lockdown to Contain Rare COVID-19 Outbreak
By Sebastian Strangio
The outbreak comes after a year in which the Southeast Asian nation mostly evaded the coronavirus.