China wants a railroad linking it to Thailand and on to the Bay of Bengal in Myanmar, but some international groups warn that it may put a big burden on Laos.

 

Seth Dixon, Ph.D.‘s insight:

Economic analyst noted in this article, “Southeast Asia is geostrategically and economically important to China, an increasingly important partner from both the trade and investment perspectives.”  As China expands its influence, the benefits will probably be one-sided for rural, less developed neighbors such as Laos.

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