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Laos

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Laos. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Capital

Vientiane

Head of State

President Thongloun Sisoulith

Head of Government

Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone

Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro is led into custody by US Drug Enforcement Administration officers at an airbase in New York on Saturday. Photo: Handout/Reuters

US-Venezuela conflict

The Maduro effect: US raid accelerates Asia’s drift away from Washington

Cambodia, Laos and North Korea are expected to tighten their embrace of Moscow and Beijing amid growing distrust of the US.

7 Jan 2026 - 7:16PMvideocam

Japan

More Japanese favour having an empress as Princess Aiko’s public appeal rises

20 Dec 2025 - 11:00AM

US-China relations

Rubio swaps hawk for diplomat in year-end pivot on China

20 Dec 2025 - 6:53AMvideocam

SCMP Highlights

China’s youth-unemployment rate, Laos joins durian war: SCMP daily highlights

From EU-China trade ties to Laos securing approval to export durians, here’s a round-up from today’s coverage.

18 Dec 2025 - 9:15PM

China-Europe freight trains preparing to depart from the Manzhouli railway station in Manzhouli, north China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region on December 10, 2025. Photo: Xinhua

China trade

Battle for China’s durian market gets even juicier as Laos enters the fray

Laos could present a real challenge to other players in China’s vast durian market due to its low costs and logistical advantages.

18 Dec 2025 - 9:00AMvideocam

Donald Trump

Trump expands US travel ban and restrictions to include another 20 countries

The clampdown affects people seeking to travel to the US as visitors as well as those hoping to emigrate there.

17 Dec 2025 - 4:53PM

Malaysia

Trump’s tariffs on Southeast Asia put US Christmas gifts at risk

From Hot Wheels to headphones, new levies are squeezing the supply of Americans’ festive favourites.

15 Dec 2025 - 8:02AM

Passers-by look in Christmas-themed shop windows at Macy’s department store in New York earlier this month. Photo: Zuma Press Wire/dpa

Japan

Japan’s English skills crash to record low, behind Laos and Vietnam

Outdated teaching methods and the rise of language translation apps have made most Japanese less inclined to learn English, educators say.

12 Dec 2025 - 8:00AMvideocam

China-Latin America relations

China pledges aid to Latin America, Caribbean with no ‘political conditions’

Third strategy paper of its kind released as Beijing seeks to expand its influence in a region Washington actively courts.

11 Dec 2025 - 12:07AMvideocam

China-Latin America relations

US senators warn of China-cartel links forming a global ‘Silk Road of crime’

At a Senate hearing, officials described Chinese money brokers as key to laundering cartel funds and fuelling the illicit fentanyl trade.

30 Dec 2025 - 5:03AMvideocam

US Customs and Border Protection display plastic bags of fentanyl after being seized at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago. US lawmakers say Chinese money brokers and Latin American cartels have merged their operations into a system that blurs the line between trade and trafficking. Photo: Reuters

Thailand

‘Everyone gets a cut’: why Southeast Asia’s scam industry refuses to die

Authorities are seizing assets and raiding compounds, but analysts warn the clumsy crackdown is merely scattering syndicates to new hideouts.

8 Dec 2025 - 9:51AMvideocam

A woman counts US dollars and Japanese yen banknotes in Phnom Penh. Scam money’s reach extends far beyond the Mekong. Photo: AFP

China trade

Explainer | As China’s companies become industry leaders, where in the world are they going?

Across numerous sectors, China’s firms are setting up shop worldwide – and gaining ground on their well-entrenched competitors.

11 Dec 2025 - 11:21AMvideocam

United States

US pauses all immigration applications from 19 countries

The pause applies to people from nations that were already subjected to a partial travel ban in June.

3 Dec 2025 - 10:16AM

Alibaba

Alibaba’s Cainiao expands service in Africa as demand for Chinese goods surges

The logistics arm of Alibaba is rolling out its small-parcel service in more parts of Africa to tap growing demand for made-in-China goods.

24 Nov 2025 - 8:50PM

Cainaio is expanding in Africa to tap surging demand for made-in-China goods. Photo: Alibaba

Thailand

‘Half of me has died’: toxic mines threaten Southeast Asia’s rivers

More than 2,400 mines – many of which are operated by Chinese companies – are draining waste into river waters, researchers say.

24 Nov 2025 - 5:13PM

Tip Kamlue works in her fields on the banks of the Kok River, where she irrigates her crops with groundwater instead of the Kok’s water. Photo: Reuters

Venezuela

US aviation agency warns airlines flying over Venezuela of potential hazards

There has been a huge US military build-up in the region recently, including its largest aircraft carrier, other warships and F-35 aircraft.

22 Nov 2025 - 11:52AM

Asean

Why Asean’s AI ambition may lead to widening economic and tech divide

While countries such as Singapore and Malaysia are ahead in the AI race, others like Cambodia and Laos risk being left behind, analysts say.

21 Nov 2025 - 5:31PM

US-China relations

China accuses US of undermining ties with Greece in envoy’s Piraeus port remarks

Washington’s ambassador under fire after urging Athens to sell the ancient port operated by Chinese shipping giant Cosco.

20 Nov 2025 - 4:08PMvideocam

US ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle’s remarks about the Chinese presence at Piraeus port have attracted criticism from Beijing. Photo: Reuters

China-Latin America relations

Brazil approves China’s naval visit while US research ship plans call nearby

Clearance ends months of internal debate as both powers expand naval activity in South America.

19 Nov 2025 - 6:04AM

Singapore

Singapore seizes US$867,000 worth of rhinoceros horns, largest-ever haul

The horns, along with other animal parts, were detected in cargo labelled ‘furniture fittings’ and originating from South Africa.

18 Nov 2025 - 4:01PM

US-Asean relations

What US anti-scam ‘strike force’ means for Southeast Asia’s cybercrime fight

Analysts say the US initiative can serve as a coordination blueprint to push back against transnational criminal enterprises.

17 Nov 2025 - 5:42PMvideocam

US Attorney Jeanine Pirro points to a text message sent by a scammer as she announces the Scam Centre Strike Force in Washington on Wednesday. Photo: AP

Americas and the Caribbean

US launches ‘Southern Spear’, deploying robotic fleet to target cartels

Announcement comes amid a growing US military build-up in the Southern Caribbean of a size not seen in the region for decades.

14 Nov 2025 - 2:43PM

Am alleged drug boat before it was destroyed in a US strike in the eastern Pacific this week. Photo: US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth’s X account via AFP

Cryptocurrency

US, Chinese authorities ramp up actions against syndicates running crypto scams

Syndicates either trick or coerce targeted victims to invest in bogus schemes and transfer funds via bitcoin, ether or stablecoins.

14 Nov 2025 - 1:14AMvideocam

China-EU relations

Xi vows to boost imports from Spain and deepen ties in talks with King Felipe

Xi also calls for joint efforts in markets like Latin America, while Felipe says Madrid wants to cooperate on trade, tech and industry.

12 Nov 2025 - 5:00PM

Food and Drinks

‘Empty and numb’: Laos methanol poisoning survivor mourns friend a year on

No one has been held accountable after six tourists died from drinking tainted shots at the Nana Backpackers Hostel last November.

13 Nov 2025 - 8:00AMvideocam

Bethany Clarke (front) and Simone White tube down a river in Laos on November 12 last year. Photo: Facebook/Bethany Clarke

Asean

Opinion | East Timor’s membership marks a new chapter for Asean

Dili can bolster Asean’s diplomatic outreach and action on shared concerns, while other members can lend a hand in East Timor’s development.

12 Nov 2025 - 9:30AMvideocam

Britain

Chinese ‘super villain’ jailed in UK for US$6.4 billion bitcoin fraud

Qian Zhimin and her assistant Seng Hok Ling are jailed after the largest bitcoin seizure ever by British police.

15 Nov 2025 - 8:05AMvideocam

Fentanyl and other opioids

China tightens controls on fentanyl precursors bound for US, Canada and Mexico

Effective immediately, Beijing requires a permit for exporting 13 chemicals, including those used to make the deadly synthetic opioid.

11 Nov 2025 - 4:31PMvideocam

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Laos

The Maduro effect: US raid accelerates Asia’s drift away from Washington

Cambodia, Laos and North Korea are expected to tighten their embrace of Moscow and Beijing amid growing distrust of the US.

More Japanese favour having an empress as Princess Aiko’s public appeal rises

Rubio swaps hawk for diplomat in year-end pivot on China

China’s youth-unemployment rate, Laos joins durian war: SCMP daily highlights

From EU-China trade ties to Laos securing approval to export durians, here’s a round-up from today’s coverage.

Battle for China’s durian market gets even juicier as Laos enters the fray

Laos could present a real challenge to other players in China’s vast durian market due to its low costs and logistical advantages.

Trump expands US travel ban and restrictions to include another 20 countries

The clampdown affects people seeking to travel to the US as visitors as well as those hoping to emigrate there.

Trump’s tariffs on Southeast Asia put US Christmas gifts at risk

From Hot Wheels to headphones, new levies are squeezing the supply of Americans’ festive favourites.

Japan’s English skills crash to record low, behind Laos and Vietnam

Outdated teaching methods and the rise of language translation apps have made most Japanese less inclined to learn English, educators say.

China pledges aid to Latin America, Caribbean with no ‘political conditions’

Third strategy paper of its kind released as Beijing seeks to expand its influence in a region Washington actively courts.

US senators warn of China-cartel links forming a global ‘Silk Road of crime’

At a Senate hearing, officials described Chinese money brokers as key to laundering cartel funds and fuelling the illicit fentanyl trade.

‘Everyone gets a cut’: why Southeast Asia’s scam industry refuses to die

Authorities are seizing assets and raiding compounds, but analysts warn the clumsy crackdown is merely scattering syndicates to new hideouts.

.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}Explainer | As China’s companies become industry leaders, where in the world are they going?

Across numerous sectors, China’s firms are setting up shop worldwide – and gaining ground on their well-entrenched competitors.

US pauses all immigration applications from 19 countries

The pause applies to people from nations that were already subjected to a partial travel ban in June.

Alibaba’s Cainiao expands service in Africa as demand for Chinese goods surges

The logistics arm of Alibaba is rolling out its small-parcel service in more parts of Africa to tap growing demand for made-in-China goods.

‘Half of me has died’: toxic mines threaten Southeast Asia’s rivers

More than 2,400 mines – many of which are operated by Chinese companies – are draining waste into river waters, researchers say.

US aviation agency warns airlines flying over Venezuela of potential hazards

There has been a huge US military build-up in the region recently, including its largest aircraft carrier, other warships and F-35 aircraft.

Why Asean’s AI ambition may lead to widening economic and tech divide

While countries such as Singapore and Malaysia are ahead in the AI race, others like Cambodia and Laos risk being left behind, analysts say.

China accuses US of undermining ties with Greece in envoy’s Piraeus port remarks

Washington’s ambassador under fire after urging Athens to sell the ancient port operated by Chinese shipping giant Cosco.

Brazil approves China’s naval visit while US research ship plans call nearby

Clearance ends months of internal debate as both powers expand naval activity in South America.

Singapore seizes US$867,000 worth of rhinoceros horns, largest-ever haul

The horns, along with other animal parts, were detected in cargo labelled ‘furniture fittings’ and originating from South Africa.

What US anti-scam ‘strike force’ means for Southeast Asia’s cybercrime fight

Analysts say the US initiative can serve as a coordination blueprint to push back against transnational criminal enterprises.

US launches ‘Southern Spear’, deploying robotic fleet to target cartels

Announcement comes amid a growing US military build-up in the Southern Caribbean of a size not seen in the region for decades.

US, Chinese authorities ramp up actions against syndicates running crypto scams

Syndicates either trick or coerce targeted victims to invest in bogus schemes and transfer funds via bitcoin, ether or stablecoins.

Xi vows to boost imports from Spain and deepen ties in talks with King Felipe

Xi also calls for joint efforts in markets like Latin America, while Felipe says Madrid wants to cooperate on trade, tech and industry.

‘Empty and numb’: Laos methanol poisoning survivor mourns friend a year on

No one has been held accountable after six tourists died from drinking tainted shots at the Nana Backpackers Hostel last November.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Opinion | East Timor’s membership marks a new chapter for Asean

Dili can bolster Asean’s diplomatic outreach and action on shared concerns, while other members can lend a hand in East Timor’s development.

Chinese ‘super villain’ jailed in UK for US$6.4 billion bitcoin fraud

Qian Zhimin and her assistant Seng Hok Ling are jailed after the largest bitcoin seizure ever by British police.

China tightens controls on fentanyl precursors bound for US, Canada and Mexico

Effective immediately, Beijing requires a permit for exporting 13 chemicals, including those used to make the deadly synthetic opioid.

Explainer | As China’s companies become industry leaders, where in the world are they going?

Opinion | East Timor’s membership marks a new chapter for Asean