How a China-backed highway may turn landlocked Laos into a trade gateway

China has moved early to help Laos plan its longest highway, the latest project in Beijing’s push to expand transport connectivity in Southeast Asia. The initiative underscores Beijing’s broader effort to strengthen its economic footprint in the region through roads and railway infrastructure, as it seeks alternative trade routes amid a fractious relationship with the United States. Laos is conducting route surveys for an expressway linking the capital Vientiane to its northeastern border with...