New Cross-Border Service Added Amid Surge in Laos-China Travel
Two more international passenger trains have been added to the Laos-China Railway service, connecting Xishuangbanna in China and Luang Prabang, Laos.
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China
Laos and China Partner to Promote Tourism for Visit Laos Year 2024
Laos has asked China to advertise Visit Laos Year 2024 through the country’s media channels.
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Laos is Spiraling Toward a Debt Crisis as China Looms Large
An alarming debt crisis has unfolded in Laos in recent years, raising worries about the tiny nation’s obligation to its biggest creditor — China.
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Laos Economy Rising – Freight Train Service Inaugurated Between Shanghai and Vientiane
This train service, which links the China-Laos Railway and the Shanghai-Kunming Railway, will be operated both ways
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Laos’ Top University to Offer M.D. in Chinese Language Teaching
China to sponsor a master’s degree in Chinese language teaching at the National University of Laos.
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Has Laos Ensnared China In A ‘Creditor Trap?’ – Analysis
What if Laos has equally caught Beijing in a “creditor trap?”
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President Lauds Laos-China Growing Ties
President Thongloun Sisoulith is very much happy with the growing ties between Laos and China, since the railway connecting two nations started in 2021.
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Laos’ Tourism-Driven Economic Recovery Hinges on China
Expert saw economic recovery through tourism but afraid of the risk of being too reliant on its northern neighbor.
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Laos PM Seeks More Investment from China
Laos PM has requested help from the leaders of Yunnan province to encourage more Chinese companies to invest in Laos.
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Chinese Army Doctors Collaborate with Lao Army in Neurosurgery
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army has provided 10 groups of medical specialists to work in Laos up until 2025.
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No Progress On Northern Highway Sections, There Are Many Outstanding Tasks
Although its construction has been surveyed and studied for many years, the highway project has not progressed.
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More Than 1,200 People Cross Laos-China Border In 2 Days
China has eased Covid-19 control measures after almost three years of travel restrictions
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China To Scrap COVID Quarantine Rule For Inbound Travellers
China will stop requiring inbound travellers to go into quarantine starting from Jan. 8
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China Remains Laos’s Largest Export Market
The main exports included copper, rubber, bananas, cassava and other agricultural products
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Lao Farm Products To Hit Shanghai Markets Under CIIE Deal
China has become a key export market for Lao goods, especially agricultural produce, following the opening of the Laos-China Railway at the end of 2021.
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Police Tackle Human Trafficking In Bokeo
The current situation in Laos mostly involves people being tricked into forced labour, forcing them to provide sexual services, hiring pregnant women, and the live broadcasting of male and female nudity and sex on social media
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Are Laos’ New Railways A Solution To Its Lack Of Trade With The West?
Transport costs are not the only problem facing the country, but reducing them could help spur progress in other areas.
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New Freight Station On The Laos-China Railway in Oudomxay Province Is Set To Boost Regional Trade
All seven freight stations on the Laos-China Railway are now operational following the opening of Xay station in Oudomxay province on Tuesday.
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Thailand Looking To Benefit From Spill Over Of Laos China Rail Link
The Association of Thai Travel Agents (Atta) believes that about 3 million Chinese tourists may use the almost 423 km long electrified railway that runs between the Lao capital of Vientiane and Boten town in northern Laos bordering China.
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Local Drivers Chafe At Costly Fees At Lao-China Railway Station
Drivers are charged high fees to enter the station even to deliver or pick up passengers.
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Laos Put On Edge By Two Recent Brutal Killings Of Chinese Nationals
Authorities said the killings were likely related to business dealings gone sour
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Laos-China Railway To Operate Normal-Speed Train Soon
The Laos-China Railway plans to begin operating ordinary train service to ease the rising demand for train travel, especially at the weekend.
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Some 700 Malaysians Trapped In Laos After Answering Casino Job Ads
Some 700 Malaysians are reportedly being held captive in Bokeo province, Laos and have been abused by the resort managers who are allegedly demanding a large ransom for their release
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Laos, Thailand, China To Build New Railway Bridge For Freight
Laos, Thailand, and China are thinking about building a new railway bridge, running parallel to the first Lao-Thai friendship bridge
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Rail Operator To Provide Overnight Parking At Vientiane Station
The Laos-China Railway Company Limited has announced that it will provide overnight parking and toilet facilities at the station in Vientiane.
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Laos-China Rail A Boon For Thais
Cross-border tourism flows increase, and fresh goods exports find new markets
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Claims Of Default In Laos Are Bankrupt
Geo-economic factors mean that the concerns about Laos defaulting are unrealistic.
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Lao Authorities Order Golden Triangle SEZ To Suspend Hiring Locals
Authorities in northern Laos are calling on businesses in the Chinese-run Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone (SEZ) to suspend hiring of Laotians to work as “chat girls” in an effort to curb abuses, including human trafficking.
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Rail Operator Increases Train Services
The lack of seats and the difficulty in obtaining tickets led passengers to make complaints on social media about the problems encountered, with many people having to wait for hours in long lines to buy tickets. This forced the company to expand its services.
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Chinese Investors Buy Up More Land In Laos
Land surrounding a new railway station in the capital is in high demand, sources say.
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Why China Can’t Let Laos Default
Laos faces intensifying economic and financial crises and there is likely no way out without some form of a Chinese bailout or debt forgiveness.
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Lao Authorities Rescue Nearly 500 Workers From Golden Triangle SEZ
Many of the workers are human-trafficking victims lured to the Chinese-run special economic zone for jobs.
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China-Laos Railway Extending Through To Thailand
Expansion of the route makes Thailand a ‘China Plus One’ Option
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Gang Arrested Over Kidnap & Murder
Police have arrested 13 people including a woman on charges of killing two men and burying them in waste ground in Mai village, Sikhottabong district, Vientiane, in March.
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Gunmen Fire At Cars On China-Backed Lao Expressway
Three people were injured in the shooting, including 1 who remains in a coma.
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Mekong Records Highest Water Level In Several Years
The Mekong River has recorded higher water levels this year after four straight years of low flow and drought
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New EMU Train Of China-Laos Railway To Serve Lao Festival Travel Rush
Source: Global Times The third Lane Xang EMU train for the China-Laos Railway has arrived in the Lao capital Vientiane
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Rail Operator Opens Ticket Office In Luang Prabang
Laos-China Railway Company Limited opened a ticket office in Luang Prabang city on Thursday, giving rail passengers an option to queueing for tickets at the station.
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Measures To Free Stranded Trucks, Rail Transport To China Outlined
Lao authorities will ask their Chinese counterparts to consider reopening more border crossings to allow trucks carrying goods to enter China as hundreds remain stranded at the Boten-Mohan crossing on the Laos-China border.
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Tensions Among Truckers On Laos-China Border Again Erupt Into Fistfights
The latest melee began after a Chinese trader cleared the way for his Lao driver to cut ahead in line.
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Laos-China Railway To Operate Additional Train
The Laos-China Railway Company has announced it will operate a slower-speed train in addition to the two existing high-speed EMU trains to meet the growing needs of passengers.
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Train Tickets To Go On Sale At Vientiane Center, Online Sale Planned
Tickets for travel on the Laos-China Railway will soon go on sale at the Vientiane Center
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Laos Records Trade Surplus Of US$41 Million In January
Laos recorded a trade surplus of US$41 million in the first month of this year, with China continuing to be the country’s largest export market.
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Rail Operator Asks For Government’s Help To Resolve Problems
LCRC also asked the government to counter negative publicity concerning the railway as well as for assistance with other issues
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China And Russia Position Themselves For Laos’ Fast-Approaching Post-LDC Era
Source: EAF Despite closed international borders and rolling lockdowns due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic in 2021, the Lao People’s
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Huge Truck Backlog At Chinese Border Due To Covid Screening
Hundreds of trucks loaded with goods are stranded at the Boten-Mohan crossing on the Laos-China border, with strict Covid screening procedures causing long delays.
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Lao Authorities Rescue Women Trapped In Chinese-Run Economic Zone
Some women who could not pay off debts they owed to their employers were forced into prostitution.
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Thai Cabinet Orders Quick 2nd Bridge Between Nong Khai And Laos
The Thai cabinet has ordered the State Railway of Thailand to quickly design and build a second bridge from Nong Khai province to Laos, to connect to the new China-Laos railway.
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Govt Orders Probe Into Sale Of Train Tickets
Comments posted on social media say some people are buying tickets from the railway operator and selling them on at an inflated price.
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Laos Records A Trade Deficit Of US$131 Million In November
The Lao PDR’s international trade volume for November reached US$912 million with exports valued at US$390 million and imports estimated at US$521 million
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Govt To Remove Difficulties Hampering Exports To China
The pandemic has led to Chinese authorities putting in place strict measures to monitor drivers and cargo bound for China. This has resulted in thousands of cargo vehicles on both sides of the border facing long waits.
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Chinese Embassy In Laos Cracks Down Soaring Intl Air Ticket Prices
Rising international ticket prices have triggered a new round of crackdowns, with yet another embassy taking measures to curb skyrocketing airfares while also strengthening the supervision of ticket sales channels.
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Luang Namtha Bans Trucks Amid Huge Backlog Awaiting Entry To China
About 350 trucks have been arriving at the Boten checkpoint each day but Chinese authorities are allowing only 150 to cross the border.
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Despite COVID-19, China Expects 1 Mln Passenger Trips On New Laos Rail Link
China expects more than 1 million passenger trips to be made on a newly opened high-speed rail link to Laos during the peak Lunar New Year travel season early next year, despite COVID-19 travel restrictions.
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Over 5,500 People Travel On Railway Since Inauguration
Over 5,500 people have bought tickets to travel on the Laos-China railway in the first five days since passenger services were offered starting on December 4.
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First Cold-Chain Train Launched On China-Laos Railway
It is the first train involved in cold-chain logistics on the 1,035-km China-Laos Railway, a landmark project of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation
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Domestic Rail Services To Begin On December 4
To begin with, tickets will be on sale at railway stations but will not be available online, and travel will be limited to destinations within Laos because of the ongoing Covid-19 outbreak
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China-Laos Railway Earns Top Marks
A high-speed railway connecting China’s southwest with Laos has been given the thumbs-up－even before services get underway this coming week
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Railway Inauguration Planned For December 3, Passenger Transport Date Not Yet Decided
Inauguration of the 426-km Laos-China railway and the start of freight transport are scheduled for December 3, but a precise date for the start of passenger services has not been yet decided
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China, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand Begin 111th Joint Mekong River Patrol
Law enforcement authorities from China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand joined forces on Tuesday to conduct the 111th joint Mekong River patrol.
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Latest Shipment Of Chinese Covid Vaccine Arrives
About 1.9 million doses of the Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine donated by China arrived at Wattay International Airport
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Boten Border Crossing Reopens For 3-Day Test Run
Chinese authorities have reopened the border crossing from Boten into China for a three-day test run
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First Building Of New Mahosot Hospital Handed Over To Laos
Construction of the first wing of the new Mahosot Hospital in Vientiane has been completed and was officially handed over to Laos by China
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Laos Could Lose Millions With Closure Of Boten Border Crossing
Laos may lose millions of dollars from lost exports to China now that Chinese authorities have closed the Boten International Checkpoint, a major travel and trade route between the two countries.
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Govt To Push Businesses To Boost Production For Chinese Market
The government is set to hold talks with business operators to encourage them to produce more of the goods required by Chinese buyers
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New Bokeo International Airport Expected To Be Completed In Months
The construction of new Bokeo International Airport with capability of accommodating 200-seat aircraft such as Airbus A320, Boeing 737 and ATR-72 is expected to take a few months to complete.
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China-Laos Railway Kicks Off “Dynamic Testing”
The first dynamic testing train departed from the Vientiane Station of China-Laos Railway on Wednesday morning and headed north to the Laos-China border town of Boten to kick off the dynamic testing along the China-Laos Railway.
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Thailand Is Laos’ Largest Trading Partner, China And Vietnam Are Top Export Markets
Thailand is Laos’ largest trading partner but the country’s main export markets continue to be China and Vietnam.
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Lao Flag Symbol Inspires Passenger Train Design For Laos-China Railway
The symbol of the Lao flag with its three colours has inspired the design of the first train that will run on the Laos-China Railway.
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China To Provide 6.8 Million Doses Of Covid Vaccine This Year
Source: Vientiane Times The Chinese government aims to provide about 6.8 million doses of the China-made Sinopharm Covid-19 vaccine to
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Most Stations On Laos-China Railway Now Complete
Most of the stations on the Laos-China Railway are now complete ahead of the planned opening of the railway in December.
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Vietnam Bids To Woo Cambodia, Laos From China
Recent meeting of Southeast Asian nations’ leaders underlined Hanoi’s push to restore strong ties with its old neighboring allies
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Giant Buddha Statue Plan Rankles Residents of Laos’ Capital
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
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Chinese Investments In Laos Soar, But Little Wealth Is Spread
Not counted is the cost in damage to the country’s environment and Lao citizens’ loss of homes and livelihoods, experts say.
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Laos Records Lowest Trade Deficit, US$24 Million In August
Laos registered a record low trade deficit of US$24 million in August compared to the previous records of the year, with the two-way trade value amounting to US$880 million
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Laos-China Railway Announces 200 Jobs For Lao People
The company on Tuesday invited interested applicants to apply for the jobs concerning the maintenance of communication, engineering and power supply equipment on the railway.
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Can China’s Belt and Road Open Up Landlocked Laos?
As a 420 km high-speed railway nears completion, two Chinese-built highways have been given the green light. Will these projects open up Laos, or make it a crossing point on China’s Belt and Road?
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Govt Approves Bokeo-Boten Expressway Linking China, Thailand
The government has approved the construction of an expressway running between Bokeo province and Boten, which will link China and Thailand through Laos.
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Laos’ trade deficit exceeds US$54 million in May
China is the largest market for Lao exports, while Thailand remains one of Laos’ main importing countries with imports reaching a record value of US$227 million in May.
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First Train Test On Laos-China Railway Planned For August
The first trial run of a train on the under-construction Laos-China railway is scheduled to take place in August.
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500,000 Doses Of Sinopharm Vaccine Arrive From China
This is the fifth delivery of vaccine produced by Sinopharm (China National Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd.) and will be used to vaccinate people aged 18 to 60 under the government’s National Deployment and Vaccination Plan.
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Laos Govt Approves Vientiane-Pakse Expressway Route Selection
The Lao government has recently approved the route selection for Vientiane-Pakse Expressway Project recommended by a Chinese engineering company.
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Vientiane-Pakxe Expressway Awaiting Govt Approval
Construction of the Vientiane-Pakxe expressway will go ahead after the government gives the green light for the proposed route, when feasibility studies on all sections of the highway will begin.
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Chinese Vaccines’ Effectiveness Low, Official Admits
Efficacy of a coronavirus vaccine from Sinovac has been found to be as low as 50.4 percent by researchers.
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Ten Chinese On “Shopping trip” Arrested Crossing Mekong River From Laos Into Thailand
A navy personnel patrol in the Chiang Khong area of Chiang Rai intercepted six Chinese nationals after they crossed over into Thailand from Laos.
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Railways To Help Laos’ Businesses Blossom
Once opened, the Laos-China Railway promises to be a significant engine of business development in Laos.
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Laos Enjoys US$42 Million Trade Surplus In February
Laos recorded a trade surplus of US$42 million in February even though the value of goods sold to the country’s two main trading partners, China and Vietnam, dropped compared to January.
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Power Supply For Laos-China Railway Completed
The Laos-China Railway Power Supply Project has been completed on schedule, paving the way for the planned operation of the railway in December.
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Laos Grants 25-Year Power Grid Concession To Chinese-Majority Firm
The deal will deepen China’s involvement in the Lao government’s goal of transforming itself into the “battery of Southeast Asia.”
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Chinese Investment in Laos Sparks Chinese-Language Learning Boom
A Chinese language education boom is underway in Laos as Beijing’s increasing investments in the Southeast Asian country point to a future where Chinese companies dominate local commerce
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MRC Blames Mekong River’s Blue Hue on Upstream Outflow Restrictions, Decreased Rainfall
Water levels in the Mekong River are down to “worrying” levels with some parts of the major Southeast Asian waterway in Laos and Thailand turning blue due to increased algae growth
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Laos Planned Railways: Opening a National Rail Network in 2021
At present, Laos doesn’t have any railways. However, that is about to change in 2021.
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Lao Postal Enterprise Partners With Chinese Express Delivery Operator
Laos’ state-owned postal enterprise is looking forward to working with its newly-signed partner, ZTO Express, a China-based provider of services including express delivery, logistics and e-commerce, to upgrade the skills of IT personnel as well as build capacity in other areas.
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China-Laos Railway Tracks Laid To Luang Prabang, Achieving Yearly Goals
The China-Laos railway tracks have successfully extended from Lao capital Vientiane to northern Laos’ transport hub Luang Prabang on Tuesday, thus accomplishing all the construction targets set at the beginning of 2020.
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Tonpheung District Locked Down After Two Imported COVID-19 Cases
Bokeo province has imposed a lockdown on Tonpheung district after a report informed authorities that two Chinese nationals infected with Covid-19 had travelling from Myanmar to China via the district and Luang Namtha province.
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New Streetlights Brighten Vientiane For National Day
New streetlights along seven main roads in the capital have given the city a bright new feel amid preparations to celebrate National Day on Wednesday.
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Laos, Asia-Pacific Sign World’s Biggest Trade Deal
RCEP includes China, Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand and the 10 members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN)
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China-Laos Railway Lays 1st Section Of Electrical High-Voltage Power Cable
The first section of electrical high-voltage power cable for China-Laos Railway has been successfully laid in position.
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Laos Set Its Own Debt Trap
‘Inadequate’ foreign exchange reserves, a widening current account deficit, contingent liabilities from public–private partnerships, poor governance — including weak institutional capacity and corruption controls — and constrained political freedoms that limit accountability have all contributed
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Laos To Launch Fast-Track Immigration Service For China Soon
Incomers are expected to spend a shorter time in quarantine; Authorities are also considering the use of electronic tracking devices
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COVID Taskforce Details Procedures For Entry Into Laos
Upon arrival in Laos, incomers will be tested for Covid-19 and will be quarantined at a designated location for 48 hours while they await the test results.
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China Announces Further Support For Laos
China has agreed to support Laos through three projects as part of efforts to strengthen cooperative relations between the two countries.
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Laos-China Railway On Track Despite Covid-19 Pandemic
Construction of the Laos-China railway is progressing as planned despite the obstacles posed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
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Lao Govt Partners With Hi-tech Company In Land Surveys
Lao Govt and Space Eye Lao Co., Ltd. (Spel) will partner in the study and development of a modern land management system in Laos using digital technology.
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EDL, CSG Sign Agreement To Establish Transmission Line Firm
EDLT plans to invest about US$2 billion in building Laos’ national backbone power grid and cross-border power grid interconnection for Laos and its neighbouring countries
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Migrants From Neighboring Countries Sneak Into Laos, Sparking COVID Fears
Migrants from China, Myanmar, and Vietnam are increasingly entering Laos by boat and through lightly-guarded border crossings, avoiding more heavily inspected international checkpoints
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Chinese Workers and Gamblers Illegally Stream Into Laos to Avoid Quarantine
Laos has detained and deported hundreds of Chinese nationals in recent months for illegally entering the country to sidestep a mandatory 14-day coronavirus quarantine period and head straight to casinos to gamble or work
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Four Shot Dead, One Wounded During Bokeo Armed Robbery
Four Chinese nationals were killed and one was injured during an attempted armed robbery in Tonpheung district, Bokeo province on Tuesday with local police still hunting for the assailant.
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Laos To Establish Centre For Food Quality
Source: The Star Laos will establish the National Center for the Quality Inspection of Foodstuff and Beverage to ensure the
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Laos-China Railway Almost 90 Percent Complete
Construction of the Laos-China railway was 89.43 percent complete as of the end of May with Lao authorities calling for the project developer to progress work according to plan.
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Gradual Reopening Of Int’l Borders
39 days no infections prompts gradual reopening of int’l borders
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Little Laos Teeters Towards Big Debt Crisis
Laos will be hard-pressed to meet its external debt obligations
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Work Completed On Laos’ Third Longest Tunnel For Railway Link With China
Work on the country’s third longest tunnel at Namor district in Oudomxay province, which is part of the Laos-China Railway Project and has a length of 9020 metres, has been completed.
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Investors Call The Government Considers Import And Export Goods Via Local Checkpoints
Businesses engaged in foreign trade have asked the government to allow imports and exports via local and traditional border checkpoints
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Chinese Medical Team Arrives In Laos To Help Fight COVID-19
A team of Chinese medical experts, along with medical materials, arrived in Lao capital Vientiane by a chartered plane Sunday morning to assist Laos to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
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China’s COVID-19 Testing Kits Arrive In Laos
A shipment of COVID-19 testing kits provided by the Chinese government arrived on Wednesday.
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Idle Factories, Empty Trade Zone Highlight Coronavirus Impact on Southeast Asia
China-dependent countries feel fallout in tourism, manufacturing, and exports.
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Chinese Allegedly Run Illegal Car Rental and Taxi Businesses in Laos
Chinese entrepreneurs in Laos’ capital Vientiane are allegedly importing vehicles from China illegally for car rental and taxi businesses, much to the ire of their Lao competitors
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Bananas Remain A Large Slice Of Laos’ Export Pie
Bananas continue to be a top earner among all agricultural products, earning revenue for local development, despite the government banning the creation of more plantations.
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Private Schools In Laos Close On Fears Of Coronavirus
Several private schools, most in Laos’ capital Vientiane, have closed down as fears over the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus (nCoV)
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Health Ministry Rolls Out Virus Prevention Measures
Health authorities are putting in place stringent screening measures at border crossings in response to the new coronavirus outbreak
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China Confirms Coronavirus Transmitted by Humans
The outbreak has put other countries on alert as millions of Chinese travel for Lunar New Year. Authorities in Thailand and in Japan have already identified at least three cases, all involving recent travel from China.
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Lao’s Internet Censorship Rates 6/10
Laos and Thailand has received a score of 6 out of 10 in internet censorship, on a par with various regional peers
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China’s Central Bank Signs Currency Settlement Agreement With Laos
China and Laos have signed an agreement on bilateral monetary cooperation to enhance the use of local currencies in trade and investment,
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China’s Jinghong Dam Runs ‘Tests’ Dropping Water Levels in Downstream Laos
Equipment testing at China’s Jinghong Dam in the first week of January will reduce water it releases into the Mekong River by more than 50 percent
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Laos Cracks Down on Ivory, Rhino Horn Sales in Luang Prabang
Authorities in the Luang Prabang province of northern Laos have stepped up controls over the sale of ivory, rhinoceros horn, and other illegal wildlife products
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Public Warned Over Fake Foreign Scholarships
The Ministry of Education and Sports has warned parents not to believe the content of an online site that promises to help students get a government scholarship to study in China.
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Drought, Dams Cause Mekong River In Laos To Turn Unhealthy Blue
A section of the Mekong river in Laos has changed color from muddy brown to blue—a warning sign indicating poor health in Southeast Asia’s most important waterway.
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Lao Gov’t Gets Ready For Opening Of China-Laos Railway In 2021
The railway is currently about 70 percent complete and is scheduled for completion at the end of 2021.
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Thailand Turns To China For High-speed Rail Boost
China has become a major player in the railway industry and, as a result, many countries — including Thailand — are working with China to develop their own high-speed rail networks.
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China’s Crackdown On Sugar Smuggling Leaves Global Storage Headache
A crackdown on sugar smuggling into China has left abundantly supplied markets in Asia and beyond struggling to absorb excess supplies, causing a wider storage problem for global markets.
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Nearly 80 pct of China-Laos Railway Construction Completed
Nearly 80 percent of the construction of the China-Laos railway has been completed,
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Asia’s Beaches Go Quiet as Chinese Tourists Stay Home
From quiet beaches in Bali to empty rooms in Hanoi’s hotels, pangs from China’s economic malaise and weakening yuan are being felt across Southeast Asia’s vacation belt.
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Laos, Trying to Build Its Way to an Economic Boom, Could Be Sunk by Debt
Is Laos on the edge of an economic boom, or a bust?
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Tour Bus Plunges Into Ravine in Laos, Killing 13 Chinese Tourists
A tour bus skidded off a road and plunged into a ravine in northern Laos’ Luang Prabang province Monday afternoon, killing at least 13 Chinese nationals and injuring 31 others, a Lao police officer said.
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Laos’ Economic Prospects Remain Bright: IMF
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) is predicting a favourable outlook for Laos’ economic growth in the upcoming years despite the present difficulties.
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World Could See Many Water Conflicts In Coming Years
If climate change trends continue and if population continues to increase, water conflicts will probably be an aspect of our future.
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Myanmar And Lao To Get Infrastructure Boost
Myanmar and Lao PDR look to be the biggest winners of an ASEAN plan to boost connectivity with a series of infrastructure projects.
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Aquatic Life Faces Extinction As Upstream Dams Leave Mekong River Dry
The Mekong River’s extremely low level of water caused by upstream hydropower dam projects has triggered the death of masses of fish and heightened the risk of mass extinction of aquatic life
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Villagers in Laos and Thailand Suffer as China Opens the Floodgates on Mekong River Dams
Villagers living near the Mekong River in Thailand and Laos are finding it difficult to cope with sudden releases of water from dams upstream in China.
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China-Laos Railway Marred By Compensation Issues And Pollution
The new China-Laos railway is spanning the Mekong River and drilling through mountains. So far, many local Laotians are seeing more trouble than benefits from the project.
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Laos Can ‘Manage’ Debt To China, PM Insists
PM Thongloun pushes back against warnings over infrastructure burden
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Thailand Resisting Falling Into Rail Debt Trap
Despite Thailand’s vow to rely on domestic funding as it expands its network of high-speed railways, it could soon accept the offer of a low-interest loan from the Export-Import Bank of China (CEXIM), raising concerns about whether the country is on the verge of falling into a debt trap.
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China’s US$7 Billion Railway Link To Laos Is Almost Half Done, On Schedule To Begin Service In 2021
The 414km railway from Yunnan’s provincial capital of Kunming to the Laotian capital of Vientiane would cut travelling time to three hours, from three days
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Laos Suspends Pig, Pork Imports From China, Vietnam
The Lao government has announced the temporary suspension of pig and pork product imports from China and Vietnam after African Swine Fever outbreaks in these countries.
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Laos Expected To Benefit From US-China Trade War
Laos is one of the Southeast Asian nations that may benefit from the ongoing trade dispute between the US and China, but the government should also take steps to improve the investment environment.
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How China’s WeChat Became A Grim Heart Of Illegal Animal Trading
Sales of illegal animal products shifted away from shopfronts in Laos and are surging on the Chinese social media platform WeChat
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Laos Continues To Deepen Military Ties With Russia But Risks Chinese Backlash
Recent arms deals with Russia offer Laos few gains. Instead, the republic risks becoming a battleground for Russia and China to compete for influence.
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Lao Airlines Takes Off For Shanghai
Lao Airlines, the national flag carrier, has launched a weekly flight to Shanghai to serve the expected influx of Chinese tourists and other passengers during Visit Laos-China Year 2019.
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Laos To Woo Chinese Tourists
Laos has announced plans to draw more Chinese tourists to the landlocked country that stands at the heart of the Mekong Region.
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Laos, China, Myanmar and Thailand to join hands against drug trafficking
Laos, China, Myanmar and Thailand will soon come together to boost measures against drug trafficking, following the worsening situation in …
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Villagers Warned Not To Swim In River Near Vientiane
Chemicals released into a river by a Chinese-owned banana farm near the Lao capital Vientiane killed over 300 kg of fish in November, prompting warnings by authorities to local villagers not to bathe or fish in the polluted stream, sources in the country say.
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Chinese-Owned Cement Factories Pollute Lao Villages
Two Chinese-owned cement factories in the Vang Vieng district of Laos’ Vientiane Province are covering approximately 900 local families in at least four villages with dust and smog, threatening their health, local sources say.
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China Pushes Free-Trade Zone in Mekong Region with Thailand, Laos
The free trade zone will also be a way for Thailand and the Mekong countries to profit from China’s flagship Belt and Road initiative.
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China Starts Exporting Petroleum To Laos
With over 64 ton diesel, handed over from PetroChina to a Lao company at Laos-China border, the first export of Chinese refined oil to Lao market was made on Wednesday.
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What’s In The First Vietnam-Laos-Cambodia Trilateral Border Exchange?
Later this week, Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia will hold the first iteration of a new trilateral border exchange between them in Vietnam.
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China’s Belt and Road Hits Bumps in Laos
Chinese economic development strategies need fine-tuning
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Vientiane Airport: International Expansion As China Tourism Booms
Vientiane Airport has doubled the size of its international terminal, supporting a Laotian initiative to boost tourism. Laos expects Vientiane’s international passenger traffic to double over the next five years, driven by a rapid increase in visitor numbers.
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Chinese Tourist ‘Invasion’ Feared As High-Speed Laos-China Railway Will Boost Visitor Numbers Dramatically
Trepidation about a huge influx of Chinese tourists into the small Southeast Asian country – with a population of just 6.8 million – was heightened last year when construction was started on the high-speed Laos-China Railway.
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Hunan Chamber of Commerce President to Laos Murdered
The President of China’s Hunan Chamber of Commerce to Laos was murdered on Sunday at his house in Sikhottabong district in central Vientiane.
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The Great Rail Dilemma Of Laos
Laos having regrets as China’s grand Pan-Asia railway dream sours
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Debt-Ridden Laos Living On Borrowed Money
Public debt is estimated at around 68 percent of GDP and almost half of the money is being borrowed from one source – China.
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New Flights To Boost Links Between Laos and China
Laos and China on Monday officially set in motion a new air route between the two countries, aimed not only at boosting tourism but also other areas of cooperation.
The new flight will carry tourists and other travellers between Vientiane and Luang Prabang province in Laos and Hainan province in China.
Laos On A Fast Track To A China Debt Trap
Beijing-backed US$6.7 billion high-speed railway project threatens to bust the small nation’s already fragile finances
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Inland Container Depot Opens In Northern Laos To Facilitate Trade With China
A Lao company has officially opened an inland container depot (ICD) at the Boten Specific Economic Zone (SEZ) in Laos’ northern province of Luang Namtha.
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China Southern Adds Lao Route
China Southern plans to fly to Vientiane from Chongqing in China during the summer timetable months April to October. The airline has filed for three weekly flights starting 26 March according to timetable information reported by Airlineroute.
The new service would use an …
Green Light For Tourism Complex Development In Vangvieng; Casino Pending Approval
A Chinese company is beginning construction of a more than US$200-million tourism complex at the disused airfield in Vangvieng district. The project will include a five-star hotel, a modern private hospital, a public park and a planned casino.
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Japan Still Beating China in Southeast Asia Infrastructure Race
Source: Bloomberg China may steal all the headlines when it comes to its infrastructure push across Southeast Asia, but data
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Chinese Investors Need Visa Issues Addressed
Laos and Chinese investors discussed several issues on the investment environment in Laos with the participants urging solution to issues related to visa issuance, low rubber prices and limited access to financial assistance.
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Debt-Ridden Laos Living On Borrowed Money
The current turmoil in the Asian markets, which has been going on 20 years after a much bigger disaster: the Asian financial crisis, began with the collapse of Thailand’s currency – the Baht – and spread across East Asia.
One of the contributing factors was high public debt in the affected countries, including Laos.
Laos-China Railway ‘20.3 Percent Complete’, Compensation Still Unpaid
Construction of the 409-km Laos-China railway was 20.3 percent complete as of December 2017 after a whole year of operations, Lao authorities in charge said last week.
The US$5.986 billion project has a re-scheduled completion date of
US Sanctions Laos-Based ‘Criminal Organisation’
The US Treasury Department early Wednesday announced sanctions against four men and a group of companies allegedly linked to drug and human trafficking throughout the region.
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China Pours Billions In Aid And Investment Into Laos
As work progresses on a high-speed railway linking Laos with China, Beijing is pouring billions of dollars in aid and investment into its poorer neighbor to fund other projects, pulling it closer into China’s orbit, sources say.
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Laos Transfers 104 Telecom Fraud Suspects To China
Lao police on Friday transferred 104 telecommunications fraud suspects to the Chinese side following a handover ceremony held at Wattay International Airport in Lao capital Vientiane.
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Laos Dances To Survive Between China and Vietnam
While often portrayed as a pliant client to its larger neighbors, Vientiane’s balancing act is more astute than widely recognized
With its sparse 6.7 million population, land-locked Laos is often cast as a passive victim of pell-mell Chinese expansionism, a rich source of raw materials its giant neighbor craves and a virtual truck stop on the way to Thailand and the more prosperous countries of mainland Southeast Asia.
Chinese Investors Launch Multimillion Dollar Real Estate Project
Source: KLP Two Chinese companies Wen Hao and Zhongtuo Guangfu have launched a multimillion dollar real estate project which will
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Is Mekong River Set To Become The New South China Sea For Regional Disputes?
Foreign ministers from the six countries through which the Mekong flows met in southwestern China last month to approve a draft of a five-year development plan for the river. But as state leaders prepare to finalise the proposal at a meeting in Cambodia later this month, environmental groups have expressed concern over what it could mean for Southeast Asia’s longest waterway.
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1st China-Laos Railway Tunnel Holing Through
Ban Somsanook No. 2 Tunnel, the first tunnel along the China-Laos railway has been bored through in Laos’ Vientiane Province with the length of 301 meters.
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High-speed Rail Project Will Force Thousands of Lao Families to Relocate
More than 4,400 Lao families are being forced to relocate to make way for the U.S. $6 billion Lao-Chinese high-speed railway whose construction began nearly a year ago as part of a longer rail project that will link China to mainland Southeast Asia, a public works ministry official said.
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Laos, China Break Ground For Modernised Mahosot Hospital
President Bounnhang Vorachit and his visiting Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping yesterday broke ground for the start of construction of modern facilities to replace Vientiane’s Mahosot Hospital.
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Chinese Developers Abandon International Airport Project in Laos
An international airport project scheduled for construction by a Chinese developer in northwestern Laos’s Bokeo province has been canceled so that an airport built earlier in the province may be upgraded instead, sources say.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping To Visit Laos
Chinese President Xi Jinping will make a state visit to Laos from November 13-14, the Lao Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a new release.
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Chinese Investor Acquires Majority Stake In ETL
China’s Comba Telecom has vowed to provide Lao users with improved service and mobile experiences after it successfully acquired a majority stake in Laos’s ETL Public Company and stepped up its management improvement efforts.
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Laos-China Railway Brings Changes To Laos
In northern and central Laos,mountains seem to reign the area where population is scarce. There was almost nothing but primeval forests and traces of slash-and-burn cultivation left by mountainous residents.
However, since December 2016, within half a year since the beginning of …
China Issues Security Alert in Laos After National Shot Dead
China’s embassy in Laos has issued a safety warning to its citizens there after a Chinese national was shot dead in the country’s Xaysomboun province.
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‘Wombs For Rent’ Business Flourishes In Laos
Dozens of fertility clinics have mushroomed in land-locked Laos after scandals over commercial surrogacy have spurred wealthier southeast Asian neighbours to ban the controversial procedure since 2015.
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How Laos’ Black Market Undermines China’s Ivory Ban
As tour buses pull up in front of San Jiang Market, not far from Wattay International Airport, a guide beckons to a group of Chinese tourists. They soon disappear into the jungle of shops bearing signs in Chinese characters, many of which sell “local specialties,” or any illicit wildlife product imaginable.
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China Top Foreign Investor In 2016
China overtook Vietnam to reclaim the number one position as the largest foreign investor in Laos last year.
China’s investment last year soared to over US$1 billion compared to US$88.9 million in 2015 while Vietnam’s investment decreased by US$4.5 million in 2016 after registering US$466 million in 2015.
Most of the investments are focused on the hydropower, mining and ….
High-Speed Rail On Track To Connect Vientiane To The Region
On the outskirts of the Lao capital, a blue passenger train rattles from its station and across a dry landscape.
Reverberating sirens ring out as boom gates block a nearby road, a handful of motorcyclists almost bemused by the misfortune of being made to wait.
This is the only operating railway in the entire country. The connector with Thailand spans just 3.5km of Laos itself before ……
Lao Province Issues Banana Ban
Authorities in the northern Lao province of Bokeo suspended the operations of 18 Chinese-backed banana plantations after they discovered widespread violations of the regulations governing the use of agricultural chemicals, government officials told RFA’s Lao Service.
“It has been a problem for the environment as the Chinese companies destroy the environment with their heavy use of chemicals,” a provincial official told ….
China’s New Silk Road Is Getting Muddy
With the future of U.S.-China relations an open question for the incoming Donald Trump administration, many have focused on whether the president-elect’s promise to withdraw from negotiations over the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) will enhance Beijing’s growing influence in East Asia. But rather than hand-wringing over TPP’s ignominious failure, Asia watchers should turn their attention to …..
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First Beidou CORS Inaugurated In Laos
The First Beidou Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS) was officially inaugurated at Saysettha Development Zone in Laos’ capital Vientiane on Friday.
The Beidou CORS will provide high-precision navigation, positioning and time services for Laos’ activities of navigation and surveillance, engineering surveying, urban and rural construction, meteorology and …..
Laos-China Railway Construction To Begin in December
Construction of a historic railway linking Vientiane to the Chinese border over a distance of 427 km is expected to begin in December this year, an official in charge has said.
Agreements with six Chinese construction companies and six consultancy firms will be finalised next month which will pave the way for the start of construction at the end of…..
ASEAN Split On How to Deal With China In South China Sea Row
Southeast Asia’s main grouping opened a meeting of their foreign ministers Sunday, deeply divided on how to deal with China’s territorial expansion in the South China Sea that has impacted some of its members and whipped up an increasing diplomatic quagmire.
Laos is hosting the gathering of the 10-nation Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which traditionally ends with a joint statement. But the sticking point is whether to include a reference to the ….
Slowing China Economy Ripples Into Laos
A slowing in China’s economy is having rippling effects on Laos, which has been described by the World Bank as having “once of the fastest growing” economies in the East Asia and Pacific region.
A decade long mining boom, combined with a rapid development of hydropower, has seen Laos’ growth rate reach over 7 percent a year, allowing national output to more than double, generating some ….
The Rise, Fall and Possible Renewal of a Town in Laos on China’s Border
For five years, this remote town on the China-Laos border has lived in the shadow of more prosperous times.
On the main street, weeds grow where bustling shops and restaurants once stood. Old nightclub signs blister and peel in the tropical climate. Around town, abandoned multistory hotels loom like decaying sentinels, colonized by armies of jungle insects.
About a half-dozen years ago, Boten was a casino boomtown, a pinprick of neon amid thickly forested hills. Its gold-rush economy revolved ….
Laos Gives Green Light To Foreign Investors
The government has reaffirmed its commitment to giving the green light to foreign businesses seeking opportunities for investment in the country.
This was the statement made by Deputy Prime Minister Dr Sonexay Siphandone during the launch of the 4th China-South Asia Expo and the 24th China Kunming Import and Export Commodities Fair on June 12.
In his opening remarks, Dr Sonexay said that although Laos does not share a border with the sea, based on….
One Chinese Dead, Three Wounded In Attack
A Chinese national was killed and three others wounded in an attack in Laos, state media reported Wednesday, the second time this year workers from China have been targeted in the resource-rich nation.
The assault took place late Tuesday on property belonging to ….
Laos Assures US It Will Help Counter Chinese Assertiveness
The prime minister of communist Laos assured U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on Monday that his small nation will help counter China’s assertiveness in the South China Sea.
Laos this year takes the rotating chairmanship of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, with the group’s heads of …
Bomb Attack In Laos Kills Two Chinese
A suspected bomb attack in Laos killed two Chinese citizens and injured one more, Beijing’s official news agency Xinhua said Monday.
Xinhua identified one of the victims as an employee of a Chinese mining company operating in the ….