China Digs Deep in Landlocked Laos
China’s presence is growing in strategically located Laos, but the trend is often overlooked.
By Eleanor Albert
April 24, 2019

Laos, a country of 6.8 million people roughly the size of China’s southern autonomous region of Guangxi, is often overlooked in China’s outreach to Southeast Asia. This year marks the 10-year anniversary of the upgrading of Chinese-Lao relations to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and in that spirit, officials launched the Visit China-Laos 2019 initiative to promote tourism. Historically, China’s involvement in the country has been more contained to the northern provinces closest to the border, but investment projects in transportation infrastructure, a border economic zone, hydropower dams, schools, and military hospitals indicate an amplification of Chinese ties.

What does Laos bring to the table? The small landlocked nation is geographically important. Not only does the Mekong River run through Laos, making hydropower a potentially lucrative industry, but it is also endowed with underdeveloped resources, including minerals and rubber. From a more strategic standpoint, boosting connectivity via roadways and high-speed passenger and freight railways will be beneficial for distributing Chinese goods to Lao markets and injecting investments into tourism and real estate sectors, as well as creating a physical link via central Laos to Thai markets, ports, and ultimately the Andaman Sea.

Yet, as much as Laos’ geography vis-a-vis the region increases its appeal as a destination for investment, its mountainous topography presents challenges in practice. The China-Laos railway that runs from the northern border to the central capital of Vientiane will cross more than 150 bridges and pass through almost half as many tunnels, two of which were recently completed.

While the railway has become emblematic of China’s foray into Laos, other Belt and Road Initiative projects are also underway, including further developments of the Nam Ou River hydropower plant and the recent approval a $40 million loan by the Asian Investment Infrastructure Bank (AIIB) to revamp a section of a road in northern Laos, the AIIB’s first project in Laos. Separately, China also financed, built, and launched a satellite for Laos, which joined the ranks of Bolivia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Venezuela who have also received Beijing’s support getting a telecommunications satellite.

Overall, China is Laos’ largest foreign investor and aid provider, as well as its second largest trade partner. In a country where subsistence farming accounts for a sizable portion of the economy, China’s engagement could bring about transformative opportunities. But at what cost?

China’s preferred financing for projects is dominated by extending long-term lines of credit. For example, Beijing is set to cover 70 percent of the China-Laos railway with Laos responsible for the remainder, largely covered by loans from Chinese banks. But in Laos, public debt has grown to more than 65 percent of GDP.
https://thediplomat.com/2019/04/china-d ... cked-laos/

China-Laos expressway framework agreement inked
Source: Xinhua| 2019-05-30

VIENTIANE, May 29 (Xinhua) -- China Yunnan Construction and Investment Holding Group (YCIH) and the Lao Ministry of Planning and Investment have signed a cooperation framework agreement for the China-Laos expressway in Lao capital Vientiane.

According to the agreement signed on Tuesday, both parties will adhere to the principles of mutual benefit and win-win, joint development, and commercial operation with governments' support, to cooperatively develop China-Laos expressway project. Both parties will jointly invest in the project's construction by stages on basis of "BOT" (Build-Operate-Transfer).

The under-construction Vientiane to Vang Vieng expressway stretches 109.1 km, and will cost around 1.3 billion U.S. dollars. The four-lane highway will save the tour from Vientiane to Vang Vieng for 2.5 hours after completion, with only 1.5 hours drive.
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/asiapa ... 100669.htm

A road to the port in the Gulf of Thailand

And after it is all built to Sinoville does he think he will have any say in what happens from that point. These two "states ' will do as they are told.

Arget wrote: ↑Sat Jun 01, 2019 8:17 am And after it is all built to Sinoville does he think he will have any say in what happens from that point. These two "states ' will do as they are told.

Didn't the PRC occasionally cut off the water supply to Hong Kong when it was under Brit rule just to show who's boss?

It is 1969 again

Hands up those who know the Lido Hotel.

Main section of China-Laos Railway bridge over Mekong River completed
Source: Xinhua| 2019-07-28 14:16:55

VIENTIANE, July 28 (Xinhua) -- With the concrete beam of the last span over Mekong River put in place, the main section of Luang Prabang cross-Mekong River railway bridge has been completed on Sunday, seven months ahead of schedule.

The closure of the Luang Prabang Mekong River Super Major Bridge, one of the two cross-Mekong bridges along the China-Laos Railway, indicated that the railway project construction has made major progress in the 2019 civil engineering schedule.

The 1,458.9-meter bridge lies in the north of the Luang Prabang Ancient Town, a world heritage in Laos, some 220 km north of the capital Vientiane, with five main piers including 34 spans planted in Mekong River.

As the first overseas route connecting China's railway system using Chinese technology and equipment, the China-Laos Railway is a major project in infrastructure inter-connectivity between China and neighboring countries, and a major project in implementing the Belt and Road Initiative.

Ground-breaking ceremony of the railway was held in December 2015, and the construction of the route officially started a year later, while the railway is expected to be operational in December 2021.

The 414-km China-Laos railway links the Mohan-Boten border gate in northern Laos and Vientiane. Operating speed on the route is designed at 160 km per hour.
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/asiapa ... 264471.htm