Economy

30 September 2025
After decades of slow progress, the development of the ASEAN Power Grid, which will connect the 10 members of the bloc, is gathering momentum. (Nikkei illustration)
Laos will cut the number of ministries and civil servants 'through various approaches,' as spending on government salaries takes up much of the national budget. (Photo by Anton L. Delgado)
Politics

Laos merges ministries in major shakeup as economy struggles

Move driven by high inflation and China debt pressure, experts say

28 July 2025
Solar panels in Jakarta, Indonesia. U.S. manufacturers accuse China-backed companies in Indonesia and Laos of dumping solar cells in the U.S. market.
Trump tariffs

US solar panel makers request tariffs on Indonesia, Laos and India

Petition accuses China-backed manufacturers of dumping cell prices

18 July 2025
U.S. President Donald Trump released the first batch of letters on July 7 informing countries of the tariff rates their exports to the U.S. will face, starting Aug. 1.
Trump tariffs

Trump imposes 25% tariffs on Japan, South Korea, Malaysia

Myanmar and Laos see 40% rate, among slew of levies to take effect Aug. 1

8 July 2025
Laos President Thongloun Sisoulith speaks to Nikkei Asia during an interview in Tokyo on May 30. (Photo by Yuki Kohara)
The Future of Asia 2025

Laos president says must lure more countries to invest

Southeast Asian nation has traditionally relied on China for support

3 June 2025
Laos President Thongloun Sisoulith speaks during the Future of Asia conference in Tokyo on May 30. (Photo by Akitoshi Sugiura) 
The Future of Asia 2025

Laos calls for 'Asia solidarity' amid Trump tariffs

President Thongloun warns protectionism increases risk of armed conflict

30 May 2025
Laos depends on its abundant water resources to generate power. (Photo by Hirofumi Matsuo)
Energy

Laos electricity prices threaten push to be 'Southeast Asia's battery'

Households, businesses suffer blow with rates set to double over 2 years

23 May 2025
A farmer works in a paddy field under the power lines near Laos's Nam Theun 2 dam in Khammouane province.
Opinion

Laos must not blow chance to become the 'Battery of Southeast Asia'

Power development plan requires effective enforceable mechanism

17 March 2025
Laos estimates it has 133.6 billion tonnes of in reserves of potassium chloride, a key fertilizer component.
Trade

Laos fertilizer exports to China boom amid Russian sanctions

Country steps up mining of potassium chloride to become 3rd-largest producer

25 December 2024
Executives pose for photos at the launch of the Laos-China QT payment project in Shanghai on Dec. 19.
Caixin

China's UnionPay expands QR code payments to Laos after Vietnam

Move is tied to Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative

24 December 2024
More Laotians are converting cash into gold in response to the weakening kip. (Photo by Kosuke Inoue)
Economy

Laos pins hopes on gold trading as economy falters

Government sets up bullion bank to shore up currency reserves

22 October 2024
Laotian families set up roadside stalls like this one to sell their durians. But Chinese investors are moving in to grow the fruit on a much larger scale. (Photo by Beimeng Fu)
Big in Asia

Laos durian dreams grow as plantations rise to feed China

High-speed railway fuels investment in 'king of fruits' amid worries over forest loss

19 October 2024
Markets in Laos offer an array of tempting treats, but locals are struggling with dwindling purchasing power. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Inflation

Laos hit hard by inflation, currency woes and plunging spending power

Experts warn nation must cut debt to China and others to ease economic burden

9 September 2024
John Lee, center, in Ho Chi Minh City. He is the first Hong Kong chief executive to visit Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. (Photo by Lien Hoang)
Trade

Hong Kong has ASEAN backing to join RCEP trade pact: John Lee

City goes on charm offensive after COVID-19, security law dent reputation

6 August 2024
Laos recently ousted the head of its central bank as authorities in the debt-laden country scramble for scarce foreign currency. (Nikkei montage/Source photos by Ken Kobayashi)
Economy

Laos central bank shake-up reveals forex crisis, China dependence

Vientiane may need more help from Beijing to stem cash outflows

14 July 2024
Laos' weakening currency threatens faster food price inflation. (Photo by Kenya Akama)
Economy

Laos, other debt-laden Asia-Pacific nations under pressure from strong dollar

ADB boosts funding for vulnerable countries amid debt trap fears

7 May 2024
The Laotian kip has depreciated by more than 10% from a year earlier. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
International relations

ASEAN finance chiefs to seek progress on cross-border payments

Host nation Laos looks to soften economic fallout from China slowdown

5 April 2024
The Nam Ou hydroelectric plant, consisting of seven dams, is one of the largest power generation facilities in Laos' north. (Photo by Kenya Akama)
Energy

China goes big on Laos power projects, boosting Southeast Asian sway

Belt and Road Mekong River dams help Beijing secure renewable energy

12 March 2024
A ship transports containers down the Mekong River. Recently installed Cambodian PM Hun Manet said the $1.7 billion China-backed canal project would allow his country to "breathe through our own nose," diverting its goods for export directly to its own coast rather than via the Vietnam-controlled Mekong Delta. (Photo by Jack Brook)
Asia Insight

Cambodia to divert Mekong trade via China-built canal, vexing Vietnam

Planned Phnom Penh-coast link raises alarms amid regional influence tussle

12 March 2024
Luang Prabang, the historic royal capital and spiritual heartland of Laos, is a prime tourist destination in the Southeast Asian nation. (Photo by Kenya Akama)
Travel & Leisure

New railway from China boosts tourism in Laos' ancient capital

Sector is on the rise, but high inflation is threatening economic recovery

11 February 2024
Laborers stand on top of the illuminated grand temple of Lord Ram ahead of its opening in Ayodhya in India.
Your Week in Asia

India opens Ayodhya Hindu temple, BOJ meeting, Hyundai Motor earnings

Your weekly lineup of Asia's biggest business and political events

21 January 2024
Patuxai monument in Vientiane: Between 2017 and 2022, the volume of public and publicly guaranteed debt in Laos rose to 112% of GDP from 52%. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi)
Opinion

Laos is getting a handle on its debt

Controls on borrowing to be tightened and revenue collection improved

15 January 2024
Chinese President Xi Jinping and foreign leaders, including Russian President Vladimir Putin, pose for a group photo at the Third Belt and Road Forum on October 18, 2023 in Beijing, China.
Belt and Road

On topic: A decade of China's Belt and Road

A collection of stories to catch up on a recent hot topic

21 October 2023
Bets are placed at a small gambling hall in the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone. (Photo by Alastair McCready)
Asia Insight

Will Laos' economic zones boost growth or bring in criminals?

Amid bold plans, experts say border hubs like Boten face uncertain prospects

10 October 2023
A recently erected ChinaAid sign stands in front of Laos' national monument in Vientiane. (Photo by Alastair McCready)
Economy

Laos debt at 'critical level' with China payments still opaque

Economists say ASEAN nation obscuring true scale of crisis

22 September 2023
Tourists use kayaks on the river in Vang Vieng, Laos, in July 2022.
Economy

Laos' tourism-driven economic recovery hinges on China

New cross-border railway brings in Chinese money, and concerns about influence

7 June 2023
A former member of the Myanmar parliament trains in an area controlled by ethnic Karen rebels.
Myanmar Crisis

Myanmar clashes stall completion of Southeast Asia economic corridor

Fighting along border with Thailand drives shipping costs to soar 50%

18 May 2023
The Laotian central bank's test of its digital currency will involve consumers using the currency to pay for purchases at stores. (Photo obtained by Nikkei)
Currencies

Laos begins digital currency trial with Japan blockchain company

Southeast Asian country explores cross-border payments to get ahead of the curve

7 February 2023
An unexploded cluster bomb dropped by the U.S. military half a century ago is unearthed in Kasi, northern Laos.
Economy

Laos struggles with unexploded bombs 50 years after Paris Accords

Hidden dangers from another era hinder economic development

28 January 2023
A high-speed train pulls into Boten Station in Laos. The Laos–China High-Speed Railway marked the first anniversary of its opening on Dec. 3, 2022. (Photo by Ken Kobayashi) 
Belt and Road

Ambition, concern drive Lao-China high-speed rail project

December marks one year since Vientiane's bet on China's Belt and Road

14 January 2023