New Silk Road: Laos border town of Boten becomes Chinese enclave

In April 2023, the Boten-Vientiane line in Laos welcomed its first passengers. This high-speed train, a symbol of Beijing’s New Silk Road initiative, connects the Laotian capital Vientiane to southern China in just a few hours. A vital commercial artery, it has opened up Laos, the region's only landlocked country. But the $6 billion project has come at a cost for Vientiane, which borrowed the money from China. More Chinese-funded infrastructure projects are now underway in places like Boten, a border town in Laos and the terminus of the high-speed rail link – a Chinese enclave in Laotian territory. Our regional correspondents report.