Growing Laos-US ties will concern Beijing

Subject

Laos/US diplomatic ties.

Significance

Ahead of US President Barack Obama's planned visit to the 2016 East Asia Summit in Laos, Washington is boosting its high-level diplomacy with Vientiane. In the past two months, US Assistant Secretary of State Danny Russel hosted the sixth annual Laos-US Strategic Dialogue; US Ambassador to ASEAN Nina Hachician visited to confer on Laos's 2016 ASEAN chairmanship; and Second Lady Jill Biden led a delegation to Vientiane on women's empowerment and civil society. These visits further the US 'Asia pivot' and lay the groundwork to challenge China's influence over Laos and the wider Mekong region including Cambodia and Myanmar.

Impacts

• Generational changes in Lao politics will unfold from April 2016.
• Vientiane will diversify its diplomatic contacts.
• Possible US trade preferences may hasten Lao labour reforms.
• Japan, South Korea and Vietnam will also challenge China in Laos.