News
NGOs push for postponement of Don Sahong dam on Mekong

The lower three Mekong Countries, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam as well as environmental groups, have expressed concern about the Don Sahong dam’s impact on the environment, movement of fish and water quality and flow. The project has yet to be approved by the Mekong River Commission, ...
Lao officials to inform neighboring countries about dam construction schedule

A delegation of Lao officials will visit two neighboring countries to inform them about the commencement of construction work on a controversial 260-megawatt hydropower dam on the Mekong River, a Lao official with knowledge of the issue said on 14 October. Three lower Mekong countries – ...
China suggests joint South China Sea drills with ASEAN

China has proposed joint maritime drills with South East Asian nations in the hotly-contested South China Sea in 2016. Beijing is currently hosting an informal meeting for defence ministers from the region. Keep reading ...
Surge in Red River hurts Vietnamese crops

After hydrologists warned last week that huge discharges of water from Chinese reservoirs upstream would flood the Hong (Red River) in the north, water levels have risen sharply, damaging ships and destroying crops. The Nong Thon Ngay Nay (Countryside Today) newspaper reported that the water discharge ...
Vietnam, Laos commit to strengthening traditional friendship, special solidarity
Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan and her Lao counterpart Bounnhang Vorachith reached a number of commitments to boost bilateral ties during their talks in Vientiane on 15 October. To foster cooperation between Vietnam and Laos, both sides pledged to facilitate visits by senior leaders and realise ...
How ASEAN countries fare in IP protection
Strong legal protection of intellectual property is one of the factors that attract foreign investment, especially in knowledge-intensive sectors. In the recently published 2015 International Intellectual Property or IP Index, 31 countries were assessed and given scores out of 30. The 31 included six of the ...
Cambodian activist wins 'Children's Nobel Prize'

A Cambodian activist who has championed the rights of poor children to get an education was named winner of the World’s Children’s Prize, sometimes called the “Children’s Nobel Prize”. Keep reading ...
Thailand, ADB join hands for Mekong subregion development
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Thailand signed a memorandum of understanding on 15 October, aiming to support economic development programmes mainly in countries along the Greater Mekong Subregion. Keep reading ...
Vietnam slams China’s construction of lighthouses in East Sea

Vietnam resolutely opposes China’s construction of two lighthouses in the Chau Vien (Cuarteron) and Gac Ma (Johnson) reefs in Vietnam’s Truong Sa (Spratly) Archipelago, the Foreign Ministry said on 13 October. Keep reading ...
Vietnam, Laos border trade agreement passed

The Vietnamese Government has approved the border trade agreement between Vietnam and Laos, which was inked on 27 June 2015 in the central province of Nghe An.The agreement is expected to create a legal basis for boosting bilateral trade in line with the two countries’ ...