Laos Special Economic Zone Was Supposed to Be an Economic Hub. It Became a Criminal’s Paradise
August 22nd, 2024
Via Bloomberg, a podcast on how the Golden Triangle Special Economic Zone in Laos became a notorious hub for drugs, scammers and human traffickers: Oanh Ha: On the banks of the Mekong River in Laos — there’s a startling sight — after traveling through small plantations of coffee and bananas — a winding road descends […]
Read more »Is Laos Planning to Sell Off More of Its Energy Sector to China?
July 2nd, 2024
Via The Diplomat, a look at how Laos’ power utility’s recent curious dealings with a prominent local conglomerate suggest that something is afoot: What is happening at Électricité du Laos (EDL), Laos’ badly indebted state-run energy utility? Up until early 2021, it owned a three-quarters stake in the EDL-Generation Public Company (EDL-Gen), a publicly listed […]
Read more »China’s Dependency On Potash Imports Could Give Tiny Laos Rare Leverage
June 16th, 2024
Via Eurasia Review, commentary that China’s dependency on potash imports could give Laos rare leverage: Let’s start with the good news – potentially great news, in fact – for Southeast Asia: Laos could be sitting on 10 billion tons of potash, one of the three main fertilizers used in global agriculture. In 2022, a subsidiary […]
Read more »China, Japan Vie for Influence Over Southeast Asia’s Decarbonization
June 9th, 2024
Courtesy of Nikkei Asia, an article on efforts by both China and Japan to vie for influence over Southeast Asia’s decarbonization: Landlocked Southeast Asian nation Laos is at the forefront of shifting dynamics in Asia, as the decarbonization strategies of various countries — including Japan — collide with China’s Belt and Road Initiative to create […]
Read more »China Building SE Asia’s Largest Clean Energy Facility in Laos
March 22nd, 2024
Via Caixin Global, a report on a massive renewable energy project in Laos: What’s new: The construction of a massive renewable energy base by the China General Nuclear Power Group (CGN Group) in Laos is scheduled to begin in June, marking the start of the largest single new energy project in Southeast Asia. The project will become the […]
Read more »China Goes Big on Laos Power Projects, Boosting Southeast Asian Sway
March 12th, 2024
Via Nikkei Asia, a report on some new Belt and Road Mekong River dams to help Beijing secure renewable energy: Chinese state-owned companies are stepping up power infrastructure investment in Laos, including hydroelectric power plants and transmission, expanding their footprint in a country that aims to become the “battery of Southeast Asia.” The Nam Ou […]
Read more »Focusing primarily on The New Seven Sisters - the largely state owned petroleum companies from the emerging world that have become key players in the oil & gas industry as identified by Carola Hoyos, Chief Energy Correspondent for The Financial Times - but spanning other nascent opportunities around the globe that may hold potential in the years ahead, Wildcats & Black Sheep is a place for the adventurous to contemplate & evaluate the emerging markets of tomorrow.