Cambodia hopes a new canal will boost trade. But it risks harming the Mekong that feeds millions

PREK TAKEO, Cambodia (AP) — The Mekong River is a lifeline for millions in the six countries it traverses on its way from its headwaters to the sea, sustaining the world’s largest inland fishery and abundant rice paddies on Vietnam’s Mekong Delta. Cambodia’s plan to build ...

ANIRUDDHA GHOSAL

Laos PM vows stronger action to improve business environment

VIENTIANE (Vientiane Times/ANN): Laos Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone has pledged to amend legislation to improve the business environment amid fierce international competition by governments to improve their ease of doing business. he government will “amend the Investment Promotion Law and relevant legislation to smooth business operations ...

Vientiane Times/ANN

Swiss-Viet Officials Meet, Discuss Progress on FTA

The Swiss ambassador, Thomas Gass, met with National Assembly Chairman, Vuong Dinh Hue earlier this week ahead of the 52nd anniversary of diplomatic relations between Switzerland and Vietnam later this year. The two officials discussed bilateral trade and investment with progress on negotiations of a free ...

Dezan Shira and Associates

Traders defy the law to import more teak into the USA from Myanmar than before the coup

Despite sanctions put in place against the brutal military junta in Myanmar, US traders continue to source precious teak from the country for luxury yachts and flooring. The allegations are made in the new EIA report Acts of Defiance – How US traders are ignoring sanctions to import ...

China, Vietnam, Laos are hotspots for the criminal wildlife trade: does Asia really care about biodiversity?

Pangolin scales at US$160 a kilogram, monkeys and wild cats for sale – the online trade in protected and rare species is thriving in Laos, a key Southeast Asian gateway to the insatiable Chinese and Vietnamese markets for animal products. As world leaders gather in Egypt ...

Aidan Jones

Việt Nam – Laos friendship, solidarity, cooperation to further thrive: President

Talking to the press on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the nations’ diplomatic relations (September 5, 1962 – 2022), he said with their time-tested relationship, Việt Nam and Laos have many advantages and great potential to increase the scale of cooperation. It requires both ...

VNS

Cambodia's fishery exports dive amid dearth of processing experts

A senior official noted that the country lags behind in technical expertise when it comes to turning raw fish and other aquatic species into higher-value items. In the first seven months of 2022, total freshwater and marine fishery production amounted to 24,500 tonnes and 6,860 tonnes, ...

The Phnom Penh Post

Myanmar plans to double rice exports with focus on quality

Myanmar has set a goal of doubling rice exports in three years’ time by focusing on higher-quality varieties, according to the president of the nation’s rice federation. The country plans to ship as much as 4 million tonnes annually by 2025 from around 2 million tonnes ...

STRAITS TIMES / ANN

Asean needs a Middle Path

Despite the economic downturn during the Covid-19 pandemic, China-sponsored infrastructure, trade and cooperation initiatives with Southeast Asian nations have been moving forward consistently — amplifying the presence of Beijing in one of the world’s fastest growing regions. One recent landmark event was the inauguration of the ...

PARITTA WANGKIAT

Online workshop on physical inspection of timber shipments in the Lower Mekong Region hosted by the CITES Secretariat

The Lower Mekong Region is home to around 100 CITES-listed tree species. These include CITES Appendix-II timber-producing species of rosewoods (genus Dalbergia), yew trees (genus Taxus spp.), and agarwood (genus Aquilaria), some of which are highly valuable for international trade. This has made some of these species a target ...

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