Government
International relations
Upcoming ASEAN forum must listen to Lao civil society
The ASEAN Civil Society Conference/ASEAN Peoples’ Forum which is to take place on 2 August in Dili, Timor-Leste appears to be clouded by uncertainty and fears. Concerns have emerged as there have been no indications that the three-day meeting, as stated during preparatory events in March and ...
Laos - China’s gateway to Southeast Asia
Situated in Laos’ Luang Namtha province, Boten is China’s gateway to Southeast Asia and will be a critical link in both the North-South and East-West economic corridors. In terms of the North-South corridor, it is the transit point for the Kunming-Bangkok Expressway, which passes across ...
What lessons can Southeast Asia learn from ‘Brexit’?
Keith Richburg is the director of the Journalism and Media Studies Centre at the University of Hong Kong. He spent more than two decades as a foreign correspondent for the Washington Post covering Africa, Europe, China and Southeast Asia, making his first visit to Cambodia ...
More aid earmarked for Myanmar
Australia has pledged an extra $12 million in humanitarian assistance to Myanmar to help address the legacy of civil war and natural disasters. Foreign Minister Julie Bishop made the announcement after meeting with her counterpart and democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi.Keep reading ...
Sanctions help Asian banks gain foothold in Myanmar
AT the CB Bank branch in the Thilawa Special Economic Zone near Yangon, there’s a dedicated “Japan desk”, where an employee of the Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi UFJ sits to handle any Japanese corporate business that comes their way. The Japanese bank’s presence at Thilawa is no ...
China and Laos say their rail project is on track
China and Laos are both committed to a high-speed rail project linking the Chinese southwestern city of Kunming with the Lao capital of Vientiane, officials from both countries said, and the project will go ahead despite delays. The line should eventually stretch through Thailand and Malaysia ...
Golden Triangle to be 'sealed off
Thailand and Myanmar will join hands in anti-drug operations by “sealing off” the Golden Triangle, the notorious drug-producing region, along with developing border villages in the fight against drugs. The two countries on the need to go ahead with both suppression and prevention of the ...
US may allow import of VN star apples
The United States Department of Agriculture may allow the import of star apples from Việt Nam, Việt Nam’s Commercial Counsellor in the United States, Đào Trần Nhân has said. The import is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of this year. According to the proposal from ...
Laos, Vietnam exchange ideas on female progress
The Lao Women’s Union and Vietnamese Women’s Union met in Vientiane recently to promote women’s development and to upgrade the lives of those lacking opportunities in both countries. Former Head of the Central Party Committee, former President of the Vietnamese Women’s Union, and Head of the ...
Cambodia, Vietnam to build market on border
The Vietnamese government on 27 July agreed in principle to provide a grant of $2 million to Cambodia to build a model market aimed at boosting cross-border trade between the two countries, officials at Cambodia’s Ministry of Commerce said. The market will be constructed on 1.5 ...