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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

Moutai, one of China’s most popular liquor brands, is being put in a difficult position by rules limiting extravagant spending by officials. Photo: Getty

SCMP Highlights

EU sidelined by US-China showdown, Moutai’s new reality: SCMP daily highlights

From EU eyeing impact of Washington-Beijing trade talks to austerity trimming profits at China’s top baijiu maker, here’s a round-up from today’s coverage.

13 Jun 2025 - 9:30PM

China’s C919 passenger plane

China steps up global aviation expansion as Comac bids for Laos carrier

13 Jun 2025 - 3:32PMvideocam

Asean

Is Trump’s Myanmar, Laos travel ban a blow to US-Southeast Asia ties?

12 Jun 2025 - 11:00AM

United States

Trump’s new travel ban takes effect, citizens of 12 nations barred from US

Ban comes amid rising tensions over the US president’s escalating campaign of immigration enforcement.

9 Jun 2025 - 2:17PMvideocam

Donald Trump’s new ban on travel to the US by citizens from 12 mainly African and Middle Eastern countries took effect Monday. Photo: AFP

Asean

Opinion | Asia is finally cool in the eyes of those who matter – its young

From Chinese EVs and hotpots to anime and K-pop, Asia’s soft power is capturing the imagination of Southeast Asia’s army of young people.

7 Jun 2025 - 9:30AMvideocam

Asean

Opinion | How Trump’s tariffs could benefit Asean in the long run

While the tariffs may undermine the bloc’s growth in the short term, they are spurring increased cooperation between member states and with others.

6 Jun 2025 - 6:30PMvideocam

United States

Editorial | Solidarity best in face of US tariff tensions

Amid global uncertainty, China is strengthening economic ties with other leading trading partners such as members of Asean and the Gulf states.

31 May 2025 - 2:25AMvideocam

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (right) gestures as he welcomes China’s Premier Li Qiang ahead of the Asean summit in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday. Photo: handout

Vietnam

Can Vietnam navigate China’s Mekong ambitions and regional ties?

China’s Mekong River projects pose strategic and environmental challenges for Vietnam, threatening regional influence and vital agricultural resources.

30 May 2025 - 3:16PMvideocam

Hong Kong society

Hong Kong charity aims to bring traditional Chinese medicine to African nation

GX Foundation says it is cooperating with Djibouti’s Ministry of Health to introduce traditional Chinese medicines registered in Hong Kong.

29 May 2025 - 10:37PM

Disease

Heart disease is Southeast Asia’s biggest killer. And it’s only getting worse

A new study has found a huge surge in cardiovascular disease across the region in recent years. Researchers say immediate action is needed.

28 May 2025 - 8:53AM

Southeast Asia’s ageing population contributed to the big jump in case numbers, researchers said. Photo: Shutterstock

Diplomacy

China embassy warns against ‘foreign wife’ scams in Bangladesh

Statement warns against ‘misguided notion’ of paying for brides, urges Chinese nationals to avoid cross-border matchmaking agencies.

26 May 2025 - 5:02PMvideocam

Policewomen stand guard during a friendship march organised to demand equal rights and safety for women in Dhaka, Bangladesh on May 16. China’s embassy has warned that citizens involved in illegal marriages in the South Asian country risk being arrested for human trafficking. Photo: AP

Cambodia

Cambodia is home to world’s most powerful criminal network: report

The network’s illegal activities threaten global economic and political stability, says Jacob Sims, a transnational crime expert.

26 May 2025 - 3:55PMvideocam

Science

Study debunks Covid-19 ‘lab leak’ theory, finds virus didn’t originate in Wuhan

Genetic analysis traces origins of coronavirus to bat populations in Laos and southwest China years before pandemic emerged.

23 May 2025 - 9:00PMvideocam

Climate change

Opinion | With China’s leadership, green industry growth can smooth trade turmoil

Clean energy and climate investments are not just environmental imperatives but economic opportunities. China is already a world leader in these.

23 May 2025 - 10:36AMvideocam

Wind turbines stretch into the distance in Dabancheng, China’s “wind valley”, in Xinjiang on January 17. Photo: Xinhua

United States

Judge challenges US deportation of Asians to conflict-plagued South Sudan

Judge says US officials must keep control of migrants sent to African nation in case removals are unlawful.

21 May 2025 - 9:18PM

Migrants being deported at Fort Bliss, Texas, in February. File photo: US Department of Defence via AFP

China travel

Foreigners flock to China’s Shenzhen as visa-free entries surge 160%

Visa-free policies have helped the southern tech hub become a popular destination for overseas tourists, particularly from elsewhere in Asia.

14 May 2025 - 5:00PMvideocam

China food security

How is Yunnan helping as China looks to Asean for more food?

Province’s agricultural imports from largest trading partner up 26.5% in first quarter of this year.

11 May 2025 - 10:00AM

India-Pakistan tensions

Could India-Pakistan conflict mean empty rice bowls around Asia?

India is the world’s biggest and Pakistan the fourth-largest exporters of rice to import-reliant Southeast Asian nations.

8 May 2025 - 5:10PMvideocam

Singapore chicken rice in Maxwell Food Centre. Rice is a staple in Southeast Asia. Photo: Shutterstock

United States

US judge temporarily blocks deportation of Asian migrants to Libya

Sending deportees to Libya would mark a major escalation in the Trump administration’s efforts to offload unwanted migrants.

8 May 2025 - 10:41AM

Malaysia

China rail link in Malaysia’s sights as Bangkok cargo route gets go-ahead

A direct service to Thailand set to begin operations this year would improve connectivity to China, Laos and Central Asia, officials said.

5 May 2025 - 3:57PM

Indonesia

Trump’s tariffs drive Chinese solar firms to Indonesia after Southeast Asia levies

Indonesia is now appealing to companies seeking to relocate operations due to high US tariffs on Chinese solar firms in Southeast Asia.

2 May 2025 - 7:44PMvideocam

A technician checks and cleans solar panels in Depok, Indonesia. The Southeast Asian country has become a promising solar hub as Chinese firms seek to bypass US tariffs. Photo: EPA-EFE

Vietnam

Vietnam celebrates 50 years of reunification, end of war with huge parade

Thousands thronged the streets of Ho Chi Minh City for the celebrations, with Chinese troops joining the commemoration for the first time.

30 Apr 2025 - 10:32AMvideocam

A marching band takes part in a parade in Ho Chi Minh City on Wednesday marking the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon and the end of the Vietnam war. Photo: AFP

US-Asean relations

The Southeast Asians facing exile from the US to a land they’ve never known

After surviving a CIA-led war and building lives in America, Laotian migrants are now being detained and deported with little warning.

27 Apr 2025 - 8:00PM

US-China trade war

Crunch time for China’s solar panels as Trump’s 3,521% tariffs loom

Chinese firms have been exporting from offshore factories to beat US tariffs for a decade, and Washington is determined to shut the loophole.

27 Apr 2025 - 9:43AMvideocam

Vietnam

Southeast Asians in Los Angeles detained, deported at routine ICE check-ins

Cambodian, Laotian, and Vietnamese immigrants are now facing enforcement of long-stayed deportation orders as the Trump administration boosts deportations.

23 Apr 2025 - 12:30AMvideocam

An ICE Field Office Director in Los Angeles. Southeast Asian immigrants in the city face deportation after years of indefinite stays.
Photo: TNS

Scams and swindles

Southeast Asia’s scam gangs go global as crackdown bites

A new United Nations report warns of a global surge in Asian-led scam centres, operating as far afield as Nigeria, Angola and Brazil.

22 Apr 2025 - 2:07PMvideocam

People of various nationalities who were tricked or trafficked into scam centres in Myanmar stand on a vessel as it passes to Thailand’s side of the border in February. Photo: Reuters

US-China trade war

China plans to host UN event to denounce US tariffs and ‘bullying’

The informal meeting is part of Beijing’s drive to rally international support for its efforts to hit back at Donald Trump’s measures.

17 Apr 2025 - 10:41PMvideocam

Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong visa relaxation sparks surge of Vietnamese visitors

Approved visa applications from Vietnam increased from 322 in the five years before the relaxation of criteria in October 2023 to 4,970 since.

14 Apr 2025 - 7:59PM

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