News
New joint patrol starts on Mekong River
A new round of joint patrols on the Mekong River with law enforcement personnel from China, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand started Tuesday, the 71st mission since 2011, to make the border river safer. Ships set sail from Guanlei Port in Xishuangbanna, southwest China’s Yunnan Province, ...
Myanmar Dismisses Rohingya-Crisis General Amid EU Sanctions
Myanmar’s military announced the ouster of a key general Monday as the European Union sanctioned him and six other senior officers in connection with alleged massacres and the forced exodus of hundreds of thousands of minority Rohingya last year. Keep reading ...
Lao Families Fear Getting Cheated by Developers of New SEZ in Champasak Province
Nearly 150 families in six villages in Khong district of southwestern Laos’ Champasak Province say they do not want to give up their homes and land to a special economic zone planned for their area and that they fear that project developers will not compensate ...
China’s Belt and Road Initiative paved with risk and red herrings
There is no shortage of sceptics of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Indeed, stories about the BRI often include the evocation of debt ‘traps’ and ‘vassal states’. While some concerns merit consideration, popular criticisms of the BRI tend to be built upon incomplete and ...
Project to boost conservation
The Mekong River Commission and the Japan International Cooperation Agency have launched a joint study on forest conservation and river basin management in the lower Mekong aimed at improving management and environmental conservation of the area. Keep reading ...
MIST backs five Mekong ventures
Five international tourism SMEs have qualified for this year’s Mekong Innovative Startups in Tourism (MIST) Market Access Programme 2018. The winner, Adventoro, receives the Market Access prize package and personalised meetings with key local partners and stakeholders. Keep reading ...
Mekong Journalists Enrich Knowledge Of New Media Growth In China
Journalists and media officials from Mekong countries have attended a two-week media programme in Yunnan, China organized by Yunan Daily Press Group under the theme “One River One Family” to learn about new media growth and the implementation of China’s Belt and Road Initiative. Keep reading ...
Beyond the South China Sea: Beijing may target these waterways next
The South China Sea and Indian Ocean have been the principal theaters for Beijing’s naval ambitions in Asia. The Pacific Ocean and Mekong River, each rife with strategic advantages, could soon be next. Keep reading ...
China and the Mekong: Future Flashpoint?
The mighty Mekong river is a vital lifeline for Southeast Asia, a major source of trade, transport and sustenance for millions. However, the world’s twelfth longest river is emerging as an ecological and geopolitical flashpoint. Keep reading ...
Executives call for use of local currencies at borders
Business leaders from the lower Mekong River are calling for their governments to use local currencies for border region trade to facilitate transactions and reduce exchange costs. Keep reading ...