Posted on 12/02/2021 8:30:31 PM PST by BenLurkin
The 1,035-kilometer (642-mile) line opens this week to cargo but no regular passengers due to anti-pandemic travel curbs.
Poor countries welcome China’s initiative. But the projects are financed by loans from Chinese state-owned banks that must be repaid. Some borrowers complain Chinese-built projects are too expensive and leave too much debt.
Laotian leaders hope the railway will energize their isolated economy by linking it to China and markets as far away as Europe. But foreign experts say the potential benefits to Laos beyond serving as a channel for Chinese trade are unclear and the cost appears dangerously high.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...
One communist state edges out their supposed wartime ally. It was the Red Chinese goal all Long.
Provides a convenient means for China to move troops into Laos when the time comes.
I doubt that Vietnam would be happy about that.
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