Laos Pivots Away from China -- to Vietnam

Laos's economy, though one of the fastest growing in Asia, remains dominated by Chinese, Thai, and Vietnamese companies; U.S. investors are minuscule players in the country right now, and that is unlikely to change any time soon. The United States government has boosted aid for programs designed to protect the environment of the Mekong River basin, improve nutrition in Laos, and address other environmental and health issues, but U.S. investors are less enthusiastic about Laos. Laos's most important sectors, like energy, are not particularly attractive to U.S. companies that do not want to deal with the complexities of hydropower projects in Laos, and the challenges of dealing with many parts of the Laotian government. Other economic sectors, like casino gambling and tourism, are already saturated with French, Thai, Laotian, Chinese, and Malaysian companies, among others.