China's helping hand in Laos | DW Documentary
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- čas přidán 12. 03. 2023
- It is small, impoverished, and one of few communist states left in Asia. Laos has, in recent years, seen an increase in support from neighboring China. But at what cost?
From fast trains to dams and bridges over the Mekong river - China is financing large-scale infrastructure projects in its neighboring country. For the first time, Laos has a chance to develop - but is the country becoming dependent? Might Laos be falling into a debt trap that could threaten stability, ultimately benefiting Beijing? DW correspondent Sebastian Glaab traveled to Laos to take a closer look at a dam under construction.
#documentary #dwdocumentary #reporter #china #laos
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I'm Lao, thank you China ! Because of train Real jobs will eventually come to Laos. Them fisherman want real jobs they don't want to be out hot sun on the river all day.
Laos need to develop banking/finance, IT and electronics sector like singapore and taiwan.
Also should be trying to boost tourism by developing hospitality sector and building easy transit to neighbouring countries like cambodia and thailand.
Laos first asked Koreans to help them build a hydropower station, but in 2018, the hydropower station collapsed on the basis of heavy rain and cutting corners in its own project.The accident caused the death and disappearance of nearly 100 people. So later, the Lao people asked the China for help.
My brother is an engineer and has been building infrastructure such as hydropower stations in Africa and Southeast Asia for more than ten years. He was in Indonesia recently and has not been home(China) for two years.
@@pjw3438 Chinese people are great. Wish you well sino Tibetan brother
@@pjw3438 Great 👍! I'm Tibeto Burman tribe from northeast India. I envy you guys. China is doing well in many fields. Even though you are ethnic minority your looks doesn't standout in China. But here in India we standout from mainstream communities because we so different from mainstreams. British did us unfair when drawing borders because we are genetically, linguistically and culturally closer to Myanmar.
Wish you well again!
@@CamadaGovr Assam
CPC are leaders in every field . They are not just govt eite people , but people who work with you in the field . @@tato_g_boro_guy
It's a beautiful country. I really enjoyed visiting.
wyte people not wanted
Won't be beautiful for too long
ME TOO
I liked the ladyboys
Blessing or a curse? Better than Napalm and Agent Orange?
What about focusing on 99% of the people instead of emotionally focusing on the few people affected?
These are the '99%'
DW need to finish its US master's assignment. Give them a break😂
Its about finding every narrative to demonize China, if one guy got hurt when crossing a Chinese-built road DW will turn it into a yellow peril documentary.
@@SimonFranck100 why are you so sure? what are your evidences?
How else are they supposed to develop and attract investment?
Organic development, not being owned by a foreign nation.
@@krollpeter laugh so hard, you should be their prime minister
@@q3itachyon209 This is the most vicious curse I have ever heard against the Lao people!
They know what they're doing. Let them decide for themselves. If they become prosperous, good for them. If they fall, that's their call.
@@krollpeter 🤣🤣You must be westerner.
Yeah, I don't see the yanks helping them. In fact the yanks littered Laos with millions of land mines during their colonial war in neighboring Vietnam.
Well they were all communist sympathizers during that time giving aid to the north vietnamese
Laos is a vietnam colony
Luang Phrabang got inscription to UNESCO marvel city thanks to the help of French architects and French g goverment. Nor the Yanks nor the Chinese did anything for that. 😂
China don't usually give physical cash, they build infrastructures.
That works great for Laos. Laos don't have the know-hows nor the technologies to do it on its own. A partnership with Big Brother China is truly a win-win for both countries.
One very important caveat : all the skills workers and equipment come from China.
Sadly the country who signs a Belt & Road contract is subsiding jobs in China and is stuck with project that does not generate enough cash flow to repay the loan !!!
@@lambertois11 In the case of Lao-China Railway it's all about pragmatism. Laos has no skill workers in the field of railroad construction nor operations. It was a very first rail network of it's kind in the entire country. It makes perfect sense to have China handled all the necessities to get the ball rolling.
@@lambertois11 exactly, so who's fault is it? For example, u borrowed money from the bank to do business would u tell the bank that the business ain't making money?
@@KaosFromLaos The sad reality is the Laos no skill workers will remain no skill.
When you evaluate the economic impact of a project you must look at the work force improvement. The workforce knowledge has a great influence on the GPD growth.
When a nation is poor and cannot build things themselves
They get help from other nations.
Nothing is free everything has a cost.
Laos might be poor but she is Rich in other areas. Every countries has its pros and cons.
Good report but one thing though, most of the doubted translation are not what the interviwees said , it could be a summary but it’s weird to hear that the translation is very different from what the local said
It happens with any language, I'm Spanish and when they interviewed spanish speakers they don't translate correctly, just a brief summary of it
As a fellow neighbor of Laos.
I must say that thanks to China, Laos has advanced much faster than i expected.
Their livelihood also improved.
Of course, no such thing as free lunch. But Chinese deals are still better than Western deal.
Why? Because in Western deal.
You get the loan-only. And since 3rd world countries are usually corrupted, so vast-majority of the money either go through the pocket of the elites, then return back to some Swiss or U.S/U.K banks in the form of money-laundering.
With Chinese deal. Even if you can't pay back the debts, the infrastructure is still there.
True, also its funny westerners always talk about Chinese debt, but never mentions western countries are the majority debt holders in EVERY developing country, literally, for example western powers hold 80%+ of Sri Lanka's debt, but its the 10% debt from China that's the problem - white debts matter.
Lol are you implying Chinese companies arent corrupted?
The first part concentrates only on the negative aspects but in the big picture, it looks like a positive development for Laos. Some fishermen are affected but it will improve the lives of many if not all in the country(if there is not a lot of corruption to collect all that profit). They don’t have the money to pay for the dam and will basically pay for it by borrowing it for 30 years - also seems like an acceptable offer/solution to the lack of money at the moment.
Owned by who and who pockets the profits in the long run?
Owned by who and who pockets the profits in the long run?
@@kush4286 Same like in Cambodia. Chinese owners will feed and host Chinese customers, and locals will stand on the side. Laos will be owned by China in less than 10 years. China does not need to fight wars.
@@krollpeter Be part of China, you got modern cites and fully automate agriculture. That what Americans do not want to see.
@@kongwee1978 I do not care what Americans want to see. Everything I hear from you of Chinese descent is US, US, US. Who cares?
That single bridge is called the Friendship Bridge and was built with financial assistance from a Labor Government in Australia
Conclusion: it is curse if from china, and blessing if from the west. Simple as that
Laos seems to be a good country to visit.
really!
I visited in 2015 for about 3 weeks and I loved it. It was my favourite country on my Southeast Asia trip.
Interesting 👌👍
As I check "A huge number of 1.2 million dams and barriers have fragmented Europe's rivers. "" In Germany alone, there are 300 dams with a height of over 15 meters (about 50 feet), and countless smaller structures fewer than 3 meters tall "
Maybe DW should lecture your own countrymen about the dark side of these dams at home.
Good point. Germany should shut down all its hydro, gas and coal fire power stations but I don't think that's going to happen.
if it China help, then it will be a concern
when the Korean build it there was no concern even until the Dam collapse, it only a small problem.
I don't think Laos' leaders are fools. I think Laos' national leaders will definitely do things that are beneficial to the country
@@thenefariousbrawler Making money has never been easy. The local people in Laos are too poor. Without a large number of Chinese people entering Laos for investment and development, it is difficult for them to become wealthy alone. In a few years, when the local people in Laos become wealthy, they will see more characteristics that belong to the local people. China's development is the same process. At present, Laos is mainly aimed at attracting Chinese people to invest and develop in the past
I travelled from Luang Prabang to Vientiane in .. 2013(?) and it really was a 300km hell-ride through the jungle. 13 hours, 2 flat tires and asian-sized seats in a bus with no air-conditioner. Very memorable. Wouldn't recommend. :P
Ok. It's been over 10 yrs since you were last there so time has changed. Laos now has a railroad with the help of china.
@@viennaxay yeah.. that's what the documentary is about...
So you're not recommending to do something that you don't need to do anymore. Cool tip.
@@johnstirzaker6832 Its probably stil cheaper than the new train and many people going to SEA travel on a budget. Just because you don't, doesnt mean I have to care about your opinion. You're welcome
I remember a male German nurse sits besides me at the end of the bus, what a hell of the bus
Hello from Laos
Laos* the most heavily bombed country during the V ietnam. War Laos* had 2.5 million tons of ordinance dropped on it by American aircraft .Laos* the most heavily bombed country ( per capita. ) on earth .. Thanks AmeRK IA
Laos is poor because of the corruption Comunism allows. Laos did get bombed heavily, but it got way less chemical warfare used compared to other asian countries. Laos is poor because of itself, not because of something that happened nearly half a century ago.
Cheers your spelling Lao bad mr
@@robertbest4398 o*
@@jjOnceAgain Don't worship the one-person one-vote system as a religion. The most corrupt countries in the world are the so-called capitalist democratic countries. There are a large number of unexploded bombs left over during the Vietnam War in Laos, and no country is willing to invest here at risk of its life. Before China built the railway, they spent years cleaning up those unexploded bombs. In addition, Laos is a landlocked country and has no export to the sea. Railway transportation is the only way for them to import and export goods.
@@xinbozhang7206 you are right. The world would be better with one-person no-vote system
Can anyone help me summarize this video?
perhaps next time do a vedio on the topic of "the conditionality of IMF is blessing or curse" ~
Why is this unavailable???
very good
This report prompts us to reflect on the delicate balance between development and dependency and the need for sustainable solutions that benefit Laos without compromising its sovereignty. Thank you for the great documentary. it's beautiful. Hope the govt will change this soon
nice one!
I was in Thailand last month, on the golden ring, and Laos side is full of buildings, the buildings I saw.... looked like the ones in Malasia and China, ghost towns like the Evergreen ghost towns in China....and the other in Malasia....That made me so so sad......
Hydro power seems really good, storing renewable energy
In order to improve their standard of living, health and prosperity etc, to the Laos government is a good investment regardless of whether some of their citizens will not be happy with the dam that is being built (78 power dam, is a lot of dams)
It sells electric power to their neighbours countries, that bring income to the government as revenue is needed to improve their standard of living etc.
Whatever a country is built, they are always pro and con. Some will lose and the majority will win.
The Three Gorges Dam in China itself, have pro and con too
Americans love poor Laos. Alway feature poor fishing village and poor crops. Through China help, they can yield at least 10x better.
@@kongwee1978 What should they make up ? To lie people like china do? Come to make the country in debt and bankrupted, and say hey I'm making you better ?
Multipurpose dams have ALWAYS proved destructive. They will unravel in less than 30 years
@@thongtruong9846 IMF own 40% of your debt and you see nothing on street. China debt 10% and you can walk on road, rail, harbour, airport and even light up your home.
@@SimonFranck100 American don't want to have dam that why it is harmful. lol
Those translators are not correctly translating what the Lao citizens are really saying. Partially incorrect
My wife is Lao and speaks her own language fine. She knows what they are saying.
Laos is a land of nature
Western countries wish poor countries to keep unchanged and undeveloped. Is it good for the local people to stay poor while your people in the west are enjoying good life?
This is how they feel superior (White supremacy)
so true
Goes both ways with China
Yes, because a poor and undeveloped global south is easier to exploit.
If all countries become developed, then the only real different is the human factors, and currently Global South have more people, way way more.
But hey, we live in a "democracy" right? So power to the people!
@@chriscarrol9373 wtf? what even happen to your children?
Warm greetings from America, the ppl are very hard working.
Cleanup the buried bombs in. LAOS
They are doing the same in Cape Verde, Africa...
Seems very few development projects do not have strings attached anywhere in the world. Good is often only done for others when it benefits the main stakeholder mostly. Always time will surely tell if something was a good deal for all parties, this is seldom the case though!
Beginning will be joy and ending will be bitter as always…GOOD LUCK people of LAOS…
The beginning is US bombs and lay mines every inches of Laos land.
Now China is bring joy and ending US and allies war atrocities.
Only if they allow America on their country.
It is truly a blessing for Laos. Only regret is that it didn't come sooner. Only with the aid of Big Brother China, Laos was so close to realizing it's strategic vision of transforming the country into the Battery of ASEAN (78/100) and turning a Landlocked Nation into a Landlink.
@Asahi Ogawa I don't know about you and your problem with China. As a Lao person I know for fact that Chinese dealing in laos is a blessing for us. We wait far too long for development aids from all sides. No one answered the call but Big Brother China. In 700 years of our history we have one sitting American President ever set foot in Laos. Meanwhile, China under the correct leadership of President Xi Jinping made high level visitation betweens the two countries a primary.
China is an emerging superpower with visions of peace and development.
@@geopaulet923 ahh leave other Asian alone.
If you are rising it is very good thing for you
@@geopaulet923 "Peace and development"
China is no different from France or America. They'll be peaceful until they won't be, and that's been shown already.
Just set the record straight the Lao do not call China big brother. They use that with the Thais and Viets
I would say BLESSING just look at thailand! it is because of the Teochew hakka hokkien chinese who intergrated and intermixed since 1400’s-present that makes most of thailand what it is today, but in this modern time era the Laos have the HAN chinese on their side who are intergrating to intervene and help build and develop 🙌🙏🤝🤝 especially with modern industrialization and technology 💪💪💪
As a Vietnamese, i'm really sorry that we cant help our brother much. Hope the govt will change this soon
alo ông cho tôi hỏi ông có thể tóm gọn video này cho tui hỉu rõ hơn đc ko tôi bị nguu tiếng anh á hihi
Love live Chinese-Lao relations
8:54, Laos has 7% below poverty line is not true. It's more than 7% and more like 60-70% population live under the poverty line. Go to Laos and you will see. It's like going back in time ( 50th or 70th). The world bank knows laos is the next country in line to fall like Sri Lanka and have very high debt owes to China. Trust me everything is not for free.
I guess you measure their poverty line using western standard, but you miss the fact that the living cost in there also very low.
I live in indonesia, the poor in indonesia do look poorer compare to the homeless in US, but there are very few homeless in here
No.
Sri Lanka's issue is govening problems. It they play well, they would had recovered now, at least, not too bad.
For LAOs, it can pay the bill from its resources. Every project from China, can reach its finance target. Just like your loan from bank, its your problem not banks. China focuses on profitable projects now.
One more thing, Sri Lanka's biggest loan owner is not China, China is the third one. The first one, Japan, as you mentioned, makes it fall.
well, no one is helping them...its better than nothing
It’s blessings for load of course
No developing, no future. This is the whole picture rather than personal story.
Tbh the trade offs is not so bad.. i mean the fisherman can probably start to think some form of aquaculture rather than catching fish.. Laos govt should taking more attention to the farmers as well. Things will improve. Good for them
i was traveling to laos a week ago. yes the china is building fast and high technology train but shame they just sell the tickets 3 days before departure and only accept visa card to pay. High end technology and train but old way to sell it to the customer. And kinda funny and burning season for 3 months are not kidding. The air quality can be so hazardous up to 600 more than India and Jakarta as the mos polluted city and country.
Blessing
Nepal is a landlocked country too in South East Asia
Nepali fellows belong to South Asia :v
Nepal is in South Asia with India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Maldives and Sri Lanka. It's not anywhere near Southeast Asia.
ignoramus
Only Vietnam sincerely give hands to support Laos, however, Vietnam's economy is still small. Then, Laos should step by step enhance, dont be too rush to loan debt from china. More, Laotian students are learning overseas in Vietnam should pay more attention to get knowledge to help your country develop.
Vietnam is one of the fastest growing economies in the world year on year.
laugh so hard
Viet Nam and Laos have had a very good relationship over the decades. Lots of Viet people live in Laos, and intermarriage is common. Many Lao people can speak Viet fluently. I hope Viet Nam continues to help out our neighbors
viet are disgutin,geneticall
@@jefflinton do you know why? Many chinese expand their factory in there, cheaper cost......
Let's put it like this:
You are getting a bank loan that will help you renovate your small hotel. Apart from telling you that you can spend this money improving your hotel, the bank shall also tell you that your hotel might be confiscated if you fail to pay the installments.
They have the right to be informed, before they make their choices.
I am in Laos right now. Lots of anger in the comment section 😮
It better then war
Build a dam and the fishermans might not be able to fish and then rise of the gas price and the whole village couldn't fish. I guess there isn't a perfect solution
What about Fish farming?? instead of sticking to century old, outdated lifestyle, which itself is unsustainable due to the growing population of the Village and fishermen. They can always look up for a sustainable farming technique suitable for them.
Gotta crack a couple eggs to make an omelette
ok , if that's an issue why don't the Germans help Laos ? lol , go ahead, let's see the kindness of DAS GERMANS , don't worry Steiner will save laos from the Chinese
😮
While China is building, US is bombing and cursing China’s building😂
They’re colonizing
It's building but destructively ! See how many country got into debt by China and even the collapse of Sri Lanka !
@@mitchrapp9727 Don't redefine the word "colonize". Locals who oppose the colonizers were massacred and the rest enslaved to dig for resources.
@@thongtruong9846 China offers the lowest cost for its building, if the same building was done by others, Sri Lanka would collapse many times! Finding out the true origins is good for you.
@@dongdong9560 that's bullshit, lowest cost and the quality? The additional expense? I dont believe it's the cheapeast after all. The government is corrupted and they will take the share, that's why these people let china invade them without a gun lol
Sometimes you have to sacrifice yourself to be on a better position. Western countries went through this and today they are living better lives.
Taking from the 3rd world is the sacrifice you talking about? Western world are where they are bcs of politics and policies that favor them and hurt the rest of the world especially the 3rd worlds'
They DO sacrifice themselves but the Lao government skim a small percentage of the profit and the remainder goes to China
no, western countries tuned the rest of the world into colonies and pillaged them for their wealth to get where they are today. they were sacrificing foreigners, not themselves.
Exploiting developing countries makes the West better off
@@jefflinton At least they're not using tanks and bombs for colonizing something. Just like what your people always do.
Laotians do benefit from trading with China. Quality of life does improve. A lot of products from China make our living easier. It might not have the best quality, but they are available for you as an option. Have options is better than no option. You get what you pay for. As fas as if it is a debt trap? I don’t know. Only time would tell. I only hope the leaders are intelligent enough on what they re doing. Otherwise, they will bring down the country and history will tell of their achievements or blunders.
Laos will be fine as long as the debt to China is paid off.
Money will be printed to pay the debts, making the Laotian kip less valuable. However, this inflation can be offset to a certain degree with tourism. Tourism brings in new money that will make the Laotian kip stronger. If the country is safe for tourism, Laos would always have tourists coming in to experience nature and food.
This said not come across with the dire story it really is. Lao has to use the money from the damns energy to pay off the debt so they really get nothing. And just for the record it is not LAOS when said it is LAO. LAO country, LAO language and LAO people . DW should have known better.
germany is still very subservient to china
@@aredub1847 Did not know
@@aredub1847 More like subservient to USA. Very quiet even after their gas pipelines gets blown up.
@@QuietJagung those were russian pipelines.
Great upload and sharing. China's helping hand in Laos is an act every country should possess because we are living in one earth. Tnx4sharing.
How many Jobs are created in Laos?
0😊
IN would be very leery of help from China very leery.
You don't see much homeless in Laos or heavy taxes.
MEEEEEEGA👍👍👍👍🙋♀️KARIN
Thanks to DW,. it is highly
Educational documents enjoyed very much🏞️🏞️⚽🏡🏘️🏡🛖🏘️🏠
Interesting, informative & enjoying video about Laus ....(DW )documentary channel always introduces excellent matters
Thanks for watching and for your positive feedback :)
@@DWDocumentary positive feedback for your negative reporting on the positive development in Laos
At least China has driven development. Following Europe and the United States, it is estimated that the money will be defrauded and the land and population will be gone.
The reasons why Laos is still poor is because the government only give to the rich and not aback to his citizens
DW Documents is lying about what he said. Dams only produce electricity with the water flow. THe same amount and same river water is flowing thru the dam and the dam collects nothing from the river water or filter nothing from the river water. WIthout the dams 90%of Laos suffered more for no electricity, although may affect a few small group of Loas. But with Dams the whole country will excel much faster and enjoy cheaper electricity and the country can improve much faster like China. Westerners just want their livelihood to improve but no other countries should improve like the west. ..lol
Germany is very concern about some Laosian fishermen compensation half way around the world but completely happy with the USA blew up the Nord Stream Pipelines.
German priority. 😂
I am the spine 🐟
Americans love young Laos to live in village, grow vegetable and animals. You don't need a modern Americans cites.
That's nonsense. They have enough in usa then why they need to travel and see more in Laos? People come to see the differences, and you want them to see the same shit? No one is gonna come to Laos more.
The infrastructures that China built will vanished? Obviously, no, so it's a blessing for Laos.
Western countries have never built any dam for electricity!
There are hundreds
Why are people mad that this documentary points out the negatives of this investment? Do you realise how much of the Laotian economy is controlled by the Chinese? Having one nation monopolise your economy like that is NOT good thing.
Laos being that close to china, it will be taken over easily and fast. Especially with china funding laos economy with casino.
Laos rulers should be questioned and blamed for the first place...if its unhealthy for laos...
Only one side and a small part of the whole picture. What a low view of this video! Go ask the original local people in American, Australia and Canada, what is their feelings about the west go to their lands😂
But see the life standard after these countries come? Do they go bankrupted like in the ones china come 😂 ridiculous
@@thongtruong9846 History never stop there, if the west is that great, then many countries should still under the control of UK
@@dongdong9560 of course they dont wanna be ruled by another nation, which china is trying to conolized many countries now.
Biased report as usual.
It's always better pointing out what you are paying for the improvement you get, than forcing you to pay later with your future or your children's, without informing you in advance.
Look what happend to sihanoukville
Only the Chinese were willing to invest in that part of Cambodia. What do you expect? Of course it turned into basically a China village.
Hegemony is steadly switching to the East...
Not hegemony. multi polar, as it should be
@@sleepyjoe4529 Fine, if you prefer the term, let it be...
With BRI from China
Make a documentary about how western shell company’s destroying environment.
Translation is horrible lol
Yeah yeah. Debts more than the half of lands GDP. Give it some time and China want something back to compensate and loas will be practically Chinese. Really good, yes.
Curse！Definitely, at least to the West.
bUt aT wHaT cOsT
Hello everyone, please repeat after me:
China, bad; US, good
China building dam, bad; US building dam, good
China balloon, bad; US balloon, good
China is doing well 👏 👌
Where is the fearmongering and evil China narrative? 🤣
China is not helping Laos they are taking over Laos is probably more accurate.
Curse
It's "LAO" not "Laouse" the "S" in "Laos" is silent.
Not great journalism
i see an American brain in a German head.
29 years rinse people ccp
*LAOS WILL BE A FUTURE AUTONOMOUS REGION OF CHAYNA!*
😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏😏
More like a debt trap
It is
how do you know
randi dhoti indians
@@sushiwwwww he knew from his Indian media who blindly follow american media.
So funny to try and blame China for debt and inflation when it is the AMERICANS forcing everyone to use the dollars to do business AND then print trillions of it leading to devaluation of the US dollar / global inflation. Western media is so biased it's not even funny.