However, a key question being asked by the public, scholars and policymakers is whether Laos will truly benefit from serving as a regional land bridge?
Category: Region
Selected environmental stories from media outlets in the Mekong region and beyond.
Japan pledges 900 mil. yen for Laos bomb removal
An estimated 80 million bombs dropped by the U.S. military in the 1960s and 1970s remain throughout the Southeast Asian country.
New US Agency Offers Asian Countries Development Finance Alternative to China: Experts
The US$60 billion, Washington-based Global Innovation Fund, is a U.S. effort “to more directly compete with China in these developing countries.”
Vietnam’s Assembly likely to approve CPTPP
Vietnam prepares to be 4th country to ratify the CPTPP – two more countries to go before implementation of the trade agreement can begin.
Sino-Japan rivalry intensifies in Asia’s growth region
While China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) has been in the news for a while, Japan is slowly funding the building of supplementary trade corridors in the Mekong region.
Japan and Mekong countries to boost economic cooperation
But what Mekong countries want seems to be cooperation, not confrontation or competition, between Tokyo and Beijing.
Eco-tourism promises both potentials and challenges for Vietnam’s Bà Rịa-Vũng Tàu
Experts and local officials warn that an increase in deforestation and environmental pollution due to a boom in industrial zones along the rivers are hindering the appeal.
Taking the HIV/AIDS blood test is key, but not widely used in Vietnam
Nationally, HIV prevalence among men and women is 78% and 22% respectively. Sexually transmitted infections make up approximately 65.4%, mostly concentrated in the aged groups from 15-49 years.
Laos ceases search operations of people still missing after July dam collapse
The search can resume if there is evidence indicating that there could be missing persons somewhere.