For countries with weaker fiscal and external positions and large volumes of non-concessional funding, however, BRI project financing tends to exacerbate debt sustainability and balance of payments.
Category: Region
Selected environmental stories from media outlets in the Mekong region and beyond.
Court summons issued to Mother Nature founder
Gonzalez-Davidson, along with two other co-founders of Mother Nature, was charged under Articles 29 and 424 of the Criminal Code. The case involved their repeated obstruction to sand-dredging activities in the province.
More power projects under way
There are 10.877 million households in Myanmar. Till November, 2018, only 4.709 million households (43 per cent) have electricity access.
Consultation meeting moves forward Mekong water cooperation mechanism
Supported by China’s Mekong-Lancang Cooperation Special Fund, this meeting is part of the Mekong Institute’s project on Transboundary Cooperation Mechanism on Adaptation to Climate Change and Hydropower Development.
Changing the world, one café at a time
Close to Angkor Wat in Cambodia sits Footprint Cafes, set up with support from the University of Cambridge, that places at its heart ‘people, planet, profits’.
BRI Rail deals must have accountability
It is Thailand, however, whose interests are unclear due to a lack of representative government.
Laos, China sign more deals
Sets clearer directions and action plans for the two countries to follow in building a Laos-China community with a shared future.
Vietnam and the Mekong’s Synthetic Drug Epidemic
Mainland Southeast Asia remains a hotspot for illegal drug manufacturing, and Vietnam is emerging as a transit hub.
From Boracay to Maya Bay, how to fix overtourism: travellers’ tips and advice for authorities
“Tourism today is addicted to growth,” says Freya Higgins-Desbiolles, a senior researcher in tourism management at the University of South Australia. “They’ve got to kick the growth fetish.”
Prayut tentatively embraces China’s Belt and Road strategy for Thailand
The grand scheme is the EEC as a hub of industry, from which the Chinese can export through the Kra Canal without going through the Malacca Strait.