ASEAN Briefing
China Announces New ASEAN Belt & Road Initiative Projects Centered Around Cambodia
The Phnom Penh-Bavet Highway which will ultimately link the Cambodian and Vietnamese capital cities The 2022 ASEAN summit took place at the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh, this past weekend, with China as an official guest. At the event, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang announced Beijing’s approval of Chinese investment ...
Chris Devonshire-Ellis
The Completed China-Laos Railway: Bringing Opportunities for ASEAN and the Asia Pacific
In early December 2021, Laos inaugurated the Boten-Vientiane railway, a 414-kilometer (km) electrified high-speed railway that runs between the capital Vientiane and the town of Boten on the Laos-China border. This US$6 billion project (equivalent to one-third of Laos’ GDP) is backed by China as part ...
Ayman Falak Medinav
UK and Thailand to Cooperate in New Era of Smart City Development
The UK and Thailand have jointly launched the “UK Thailand Tech Export Academy”. The purpose of the collaboration is to promote the development of “smart cities” to be constructed across Thailand. So far, the initiative has involved the matching of over 200 businesses from the ...
Bob Savic
Myanmar’s Prospects for Post-Coup Foreign Trade & Investment
Following Monday’s military coup, life in Myanmar appears to be rapidly returning to normal. However, big questions remain over what happens next and especially the prospects for existing and future foreign investment in the country. We examine the possibilities. What happened and why? The military moved in ...
Chris Devonshire-Ellis
Laos Planned Railways: Opening a National Rail Network in 2021
At present, Laos doesn’t have any railways. However, that is about to change in 2021. China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with his Laos counterpart Saleumxay Kommasith last week in a virtual meeting to discuss progress on the China-Laos Economic Corridor. Both Governments have occasions ...
Chris Devonshire-Ellis
Vietnam’s Economy to Grow Fastest in Southeast Asia Despite COVID-19: ADB
According to the Asian Development Bank (ADB), Vietnam’s economy has shown strong growth in 2019, as a result of high domestic demand, a strong manufacturing and processing industry, and high Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). The second outbreak of COVID-19 in March started a new phase in the fight against the pandemic, severely ...
Do Thanh Ha