Laos
Economy
Pinglu Canal is an alternative, not a game changer for Southeast Asia
China’s new Pinglu Canal promises a shorter route to ASEAN, but its real impact depends on how ships and cargoes fit into existing supply chains, ports and regional trade networks. Commentator Jianbo Wu analyses the situation.
Jianbo Wu
28 Oct 2026
Economy
The road north: From Cambodia’s farms to China
Existing infrastructure is converging into an emerging Cambodia-Laos-China agricultural corridor, bringing farmers into regional trade, observes researcher David Okoronkwo, after weeks of field study in Kratie, northeastern Cambodia.
David Okoronkwo
30 Sep 2026
Politics
Vietnam’s quiet rise: The new diplomatic bridge to North Korea
Maintaining close ties with China and Russia has always been the cornerstone of North Korea’s diplomacy. However, relying solely on these two powers is not enough to lift the country out of international isolation. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Yu Zeyuan takes a look at the role ASEAN member states Vietnam and Laos can play.
Yu Zeyuan
10 Oct 2025
Economy
How BYD became the leading EV brand in Southeast Asia
The Chinese EV company BYD, after overtaking Tesla in selling more EVs in 2024, has ascended to the pole position in global green mobility. How did BYD rise so fast from a budding battery maker? And how did BYD expand its overseas markets? BYD senior specialist Huang Jiayi and US academic Chen Xiangming examine BYD’s success over the past three decades, with a focus on its footprint in Southeast Asia.
Huang Jiayi, Chen Xiangming
14 Jul 2025
Economy
China’s BRI problem: From builder to debt collector
China has embarked on very rapid and massive overseas lending since 2013, when it launched the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). But it has now become the world’s largest debt collector for developing countries’ debt repayments. EAI senior research fellow Yu Hong assesses whether China’s shifting role in global lending will undercut the BRI.
Yu Hong
24 Jun 2025
Economy
Why Chinese investors are racing to plant durians in Southeast Asia
With the growing popularity of durians in China, some Chinese are coming to Southeast Asia to start durian plantations to cater to demand. Lianhe Zaobao correspondent Lim Zhan Ting speaks to durian cultivators to find out more.
Lim Zhan Ting
21 May 2025
Politics
North Korea is a lonely country, even among ‘friends’
Japanese academic Atsuhito Isozaki explains why China and North Korea share less common ground than what is usually proclaimed in public statements. For that matter, North Korea’s plans of deepening relations with other socialist countries might be a tall order.
Atsuhito Isozaki
07 May 2024
Economy
Riding the China-Laos Railway: Landlocked Laos gets connected to China and beyond
As the China-Laos Railway (CLR) celebrates its second anniversary on 3 December, academic Chen Xiangming and postgraduate student Shaun Hoang offer a fresh account of the transformative consequences of the China-built railway. They ask: what happens when a small and landlocked country with hardly any railway history launches a new passenger-freight railway as its transformative transport artery?
Chen Xiangming, Shaun Hoang
04 Dec 2023
Politics
Is Laos able to make a difference in the Myanmar crisis?
ISEAS academic Joanne Lin looks at the crisis in Myanmar and recommends possible strategies for Laos to move the needle on the issue, ahead of its ASEAN chairmanship next year. Namely, Laos can make use of its strong relations with China and Russia to encourage them to work and coordinate closely with ASEAN.
Joanne Lin
24 Oct 2023
Society
Chinese in the crosshairs of 'mushrooming' transnational cybercrime
Cybercrime scams and the related kidnappings have exploded since 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic and subsequent economic downturn fuelled the number of such crimes, including fake online romantic ploys, bogus investment pitches and illegal gambling schemes. Scam centres were concentrated in Cambodia, but have now been found in Laos and Myanmar, and at least four other Asian countries have become human trafficking hubs.
Caixin Global
13 Oct 2023
Politics
Long-delayed Thailand-China high-speed train: A political game on two tracks
The beleaguered construction and murky progress of the proposed Bangkok-Nong Khai high-speed railway are emblematic of deeper problems underlying Thailand's and China's infrastructural ambitions.
Sivarin Lertpusit
11 Jan 2023