laos
-
Who Will Build ASEAN’s Digital Future? The Education and Talent Gap Behind the Region’s Digital Economy
ASEAN’s digital economy is expanding rapidly, with e-commerce, AI, data centres, and regional digital frameworks positioning the region for major growth by 2030. Yet this progress rests on a fragile foundation: ASEAN does not have enough digitally skilled workers to sustain the scale of its ambitions. Weak early digital education,…
-
The Ringgit Myth: Why Malaysia’s Export Machine Doesn’t Need a Weak Currency to Win
Does a stronger ringgit really hurt Malaysia’s exports? While economic intuition may suggest yes, the data says otherwise. Despite a rising currency, exports hit record highs. Why? Real competitiveness is not about low prices and a weak currency. It’s about technology, supply chains, and global demand, all structural economic factors.…
-
Reprioritising Education for Effective Poverty Reduction in Lao PDR
While Laos has made progress in reducing poverty, a deeper problem remains hidden beneath the numbers. Today, poverty is no longer determined by where people live, but rather by whether children finish school. Education deprivation has become the bottleneck in solving Laos’s poverty issue, yet current developmental policies continue to…
-
The China-Laos Railway and the Price of Connectivity: Unequal Partners in a “Win-Win” Project
Despite its “win-win” branding as a flagship Belt and Road link transforming Laos from “land-locked” to “land-linked,” the China–Laos Railway has deepened asymmetric power dynamics. Thousands of Laotian families have been displaced, Laos’ 30 % ownership stake was financed by onerous Chinese loans that trap it in debt, and both…
Sino-Southeast Initiative 