Laos is a landlocked nation of around 7 million people sitting at the geographic heart of mainland Southeast Asia, bordered by China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Myanmar. The opening of the China–Laos Railway in 2021 transformed the country’s transit potential, enabling rail-linked trade flows between Kunming and Vientiane and reducing the cost of moving goods across the subregion. Hydropower exports to neighbouring countries provide a stable hard-currency revenue stream, while the Mekong river corridor and UNESCO-listed Luang Prabang sustain a growing eco-heritage tourism sector.
