Laos, which is seen as pro-Beijing, has been showing some diplomatic savvy. Late on the night of July 24, Laotian Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith showed up at the hotel that Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi was staying at here in the country’s capital.
Tough Times In the Laos Garment Industry
The Lao garment industry has been on the decline. The value of exports increased from US$87 million in 1995 to a peak of US$219 million in 2011, before gradually falling to US$174 million in 2015. The share of garments in total exports also declined from an average of 36 per cent during 2001–2005, to only 8 per cent during 2011–2015.
China Gezhouba Group Signs Deal to Construct 35-MW Xelanong 2 Hydropower Project In Laos
The China Gezhouba Group Corp. has signed an agreement with the Laotian government to develop a 35 MW hydroelectric plant in Laos’ southern Salavan province, according to reports from state news sources.
Mystery Jars and Remains Unearthed in Naxaithong
A total of five jars containing remains, estimated to be over 100-200 years old, were unearthed by a local farmer recently who hired an excavator to prepare a rice field in Nanga village, Naxaithong district, Vientiane.
Luang Prabang Prepares for Annual Boat Racing Festival
Luang Prabang provincial authorities will organise their annual boat racing festival in Namnheungkhan village, Luang Prabang district, seeking to promote Lao culture and customs to visitors.
University Hopefuls Sit Entrance Exams
The National University of Laos (NUOL) yesterday kicked off its entrance exams for more than 16,500 school leavers and will take on 3,476 students this academic year, according to an official.
Switzerland Extends Grant to MRC
The Swiss government has granted more than US$7 million to the Mekong River Commission (MRC) to implement its overall brief, which covers areas such as climate change and adaptation, flood and drought, management and sustainable hydropower.