Laos

[Jim the Moron]

"Despite the risks, Laos goes ahead with Pak Beng dam"

http://www.atimes.com/article/despite-r ... -beng-dam/

A thoroughly researched and very well-written article. The trashing of Laos and the Mekong River proceed apace.

[Jim the Moron]

"Luang Prabang would end up as a new Chinese town."

http://www.atimes.com/article/lao-cultu ... e-dilemma/

". . . it's not clear how much autonomy Lao authorities really have . . ."

[Jim the Moron]

"China buys out a mammoth source of Lao pride"

http://www.atimes.com/article/china-buy ... lao-pride/

The trashing of Laotian natural and cultural resources proceeds apace.

[Jim the Moron]

The Pan-Asia Railway Network

https://www.bangkokpost.com/news/specia ... il-dilemma

Laos is well on its way of becoming China's southernmost province.

[Milo]

The awful truth is Laos currently fares better than any other time in recent history.

[Jim the Moron]

The awful truth is Laos currently fares better than any other time in recent history.

Plenty of low points, but here was the lowest -
https://www.economist.com/books-and-art ... ar-in-laos

Kids there are still being maimed by cluster bombs.

[Jim the Moron]

Asia's battery . . .

https://www.asiasentinel.com/econ-busin ... on-crisis/

Wildlife disappearing . . .

[Jim the Moron]

"Coronavirus runs roughshod over debt-laden belt and road projects"
https://scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/a ... t-and-road

Laos, functionally a province of China, is now thoroughly trashed - environmentally, socially, culturally, and economically. Fortunately most other SE Asian nations are becoming increasingly leery of China's entreaties. -

Unlike in SE Asia, Chinese money has been relatively beneficial to certain poor African and Latin American nations outside the belt and road.

[neverfail]

"Coronavirus runs roughshod over debt-laden belt and road projects"
https://scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/a ... t-and-road

Laos, functionally a province of China, is now thoroughly trashed - environmentally, socially, culturally, and economically. Fortunately most other SE Asian nations are becoming increasingly leery of China's entreaties.

Laos? The name rhymes with "chaos"? -

Unlike in SE Asia, Chinese money has been relatively beneficial to certain poor African and Latin American nations outside the belt and road.

(To borrow inspiration from a Russian concept) south east Asia is arguably China's near abroad. That makes a difference.

Ukraine is within Russia's near abroad so Russia treats Ukraine soverignty with contempt. Germany and The Netherlands are outside its traditional sphere of influence so Russia treats these places with noticably much greater respect as entities that need to be diplomatically courted and won.

[DavAdmin]

Travelled extensively in Laos last year, it has essentially been sold almost in entirety to China and will be a satellite state of the red dragon very soon. A similar situation is happening in Cambodia and Thailand is in danger of heading the same way.