Nikkei Asian Review
Thailand scraps new economic zones and plans regional linkups
The Thai government is revamping its special economic zone strategy and pushing for links with those in neighboring countries, hoping to improve access within the region and secure tariff-free entrance for its goods into the European Union. Keep reading ...
Rethink plans to dam Mekong after Laos disaster
The collapse of the Xe-Pian Xe-Namnoy dam after heavy rains last month that killed more than 30 in Laos and left thousands of Lao and Cambodian people homeless is reigniting an urgent debate about preventing similar tragedies in future. Keep reading ...
Cambodians wary as Chinese investment transforms their country
As boom-mounted cameras swept the horizon, a drone hovered above more than 50,000 party faithful who had begun streaming noisily through the Cambodian capital well before dawn, dressed in white shirts and caps, and waving blue flags. Keep reading ...
Southeast Asia`s foreign debt spirals
Six Southeast Asian countries, led by Laos, have much higher external debt levels than the developing world average, sparking concern that the region may be heading for a debt crisis. Keep reading ...
Myanmar will ask China to downsize project, minister says
Myanmar will seek to reduce the scale of a China-led special economic zone project in its western state of Rakhine, Planning and Finance Minister Soe Win said in an exclusive interview. Keep reading ...
Mekong nations get started on their own infrastructure fund
Five nations that share the Mekong River on Saturday adopted a five-year master development plan, vowing to upgrade roads, power grids and other pieces of infrastructure that connect and strengthen the region. Keep reading ...
Thailand plans regional infrastructure fund to reduce China dependence
Thailand is taking the lead in creating a regional fund with its neighbors, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam, to back infrastructure and other development projects and to lessen reliance on Chinese investment. Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha is expected to propose the idea to the leaders of ...
Southeast Asia taps AI and satellites to tackle traffic jams
Emerging economies in Asia are turning to the “internet of things,” artificial intelligence and satellites to alleviate their cities’ traffic jams. Keep reading ...
ADB chief warns of Belt and Road debt trap
The head of the Asian Development Bank on Thursday warned countries against unsustainable borrowing to fund infrastructure projects, which could leave them stuck in a debt trap. Keep reading ...
Mekong River nations face the hidden costs of China's dams
Dozens of projects threaten agriculture and fishing in Southeast Asia. Sam In, a 48-year-old rice farmer from Cambodia’s northeastern province of Stung Treng, never knew that people paid for water until he was forced to move out of his home on the banks of a Mekong ...
