One Chinese Worker Killed in Laos as Militants Grow Bolder

According to Chinese state media, one of the Middle Kingdom’s citizens was killed in a shooting in Laos that also injured three people, according to the Associated Press. The incident occurred in Luang Prabang province, and suspected terrorists launched the attack at a workspace used by a Chinese company. Authorities do not have a motive, but some suspect that the shooting grew out of growing anti-Chinese sentiment within Laos.

According to Chinese state media, one of the Middle Kingdom’s citizens was killed in a shooting in Laos that also injured three people, according to the Associated Press. The incident occurred in Luang Prabang province, and suspected terrorists launched the attack at a workspace used by a Chinese company. Authorities do not have a motive, but some suspect that the shooting grew out of growing anti-Chinese sentiment within Laos.

The suspects have yet to be identified, but Hmong militants could be the culprits. The Hmong people are an ethnic group in Laos, but militants arose from within the Hmong community during the Vietnam War, when the United States supported anti-Communist groups against the Communist regime. Though the Vietnam War is long over, various insurgents continue to fight against the current ruling communist government and Chinese influence.

The Chinese have expanded investment operations in Laos, but have extracted precious resources that locals need. China’s growing footprint has caused resentment among locals in the past few years, which could explain the string of attacks against Chinese citizens working in Laos.

Another attack occurred in January, when two Chinese workers and another employed by a Chinese company were murdered, notes AFP. Further, another person was injured during a separate bombing incident, causing the U.S. Embassy in the capital Vientiane to issue a travel warning.

Laos Economy

Laos is an underdeveloped country that must rely on other nations to maintain its economy. Leadership has forged closer ties to China in the last decade, but party elders aim to rekindle ties with Vietnam, a powerful emerging market in the region, and a country that stands to benefit from the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP).

Vientiane, however, must strike a balance between China and Vietnam for the sake of the economy, due to the nation’s landlocked status and little chance of yielding substantial revenue on its own. With that, Laos still has room for leverage as a member of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN).

ASEAN Ambitions

Vientiane hosted the first of multiple retreats, where ministers from the region gathered to discuss Southeast Asian stability and development efforts. Laos’s leaders aimed to raise their country’s profile by stressing the need to bolster trade and tourism while strengthening their economy. Other topics on ASEAN’s agenda included territorial disputes in the South China Sea, terrorism, and cyber-security. Moreover, Laotian Prime Minister Thongsing Thammavong visited President Barack Obama in California in February as a fellow ASEAN member and a leader who wishes to enhance his country’s status on the world stage.

The issue of China’s claim over disputed territories is a hot-button issue in Southeast Asia, but Laos could gain the leverage it needs by gravitating closer to the U.S. geopolitically and economically, a move that could push China further at bay.