Economy and industry
Attapeu airport potential examined during PM's visit

Attapeu International Airport may become more widely used in order to boost air transportation within Laos and the region. Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith visited Attapeu province on October 15-16 for a working visit to discuss the future of the airport with provincial authorities after it opened for ...
How to arrange VND230 trillion to build north-south highway

The Ministry of Transport has said that the north-south highway requires lower costs compared with other projects, but the Ministry of Finance says the required investment is high compared with the long-term public investment plan. MOT has submitted to the government a project on building a ...
Russia, Belarus prepare to establish auto joint ventures in Vietnam

A couple of Russian and Belarusian companies are preparing to set up auto joint ventures in Vietnam to benefit from two protocols between Vietnam and the two nations on production of vehicles here in the country. The two protocols were signed within the framework of the ...
Lao, Vietnamese journalists' associations agree to strengthen ties
The Lao Journalists’ Association and Vietnam Journalists’ Association on October 17 agreed to tighten their cooperation through more discussions and training sessions. The two sides agreed to boost ties during a visit by a Lao delegation in which 11 members of the LJA, led by its ...
Will hydropower turn the tide on the Salween River?

Both history and future development plans point to risks for the Salween River and its eco-systems and communities. Over-development, lack of public consultation and the appetite for energy threaten Asia’s last free flowing, international river. It is among the most visited, most photographed and most ...
Production slowing at Wa Tin mine

Output from a mysterious Myanma tin mine that has disrupted the global market in the metal is falling sharply and deposits could be depleted in “two to three years,” senior mine officials told Reuters. A surprise discovery of large quantities of tin has propelled the formerly ...
HCM City to auction tidal flood-control contracts

The Prime Minister has agreed in principle to allow the HCM City administration to apply bidding selection forms in special cases under Article 26 of the Law on Bidding to select a contractor for a tidal flood control project for the city. Under Article 26, in ...
Meteorologist advises smaller alternatives to Myitsone megadam
The former director general of the meteorology and hydrology department has proposed an alternative solution to the problem of the stalled Myitsone hydropower dam. Instead of building one destructive and publically reviled mega dam, why not build four smaller hydropower projects instead, he suggested on ...
Export optimism varies according to sector

Despite signs of a recovery in the export sector, Thai manufacturers and exporters have been encouraged to focus more on product development, brand recognition, and adding value to enhance competitiveness in global markets. For the rest of this year, exporters expect exchange-rate fluctuations will still ...
Is the Belt and Road Initiative globalizing China’s national security policy?

Chinese security policy experts use potential threats to BRI projects to highlight the necessity of a globalized security posture. The suicide bomb attack on the Chinese embassy in Kyrgyzstan in August 2016 highlighted China’s rising external vulnerability in a region at the heart of its signature ...