Consolidating Lao-ness: China in Laos in the Age of the BRI

Abstract

The rising presence of China in Laos is a very visible and potent force of change throughout the country. Until recently, this was consolidated largely in areas along the Lao-China border but is now visible throughout the country and particularly in Lao cities. This is particularly so since China embarked on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which has brought China closer to Laos, metaphorically and literally. This chapter argues that the rising presence of China in Laos has also entrenched a sense of Lao-ness. Laos is one of the most ethnically diverse countries in the world, which has existed in its current form only since 1975 and has a weak sense of national consciousness. This chapter contends that the issue of China in Laos is a significant and rare driver of national unity across the Lao population. This is something on which many Lao people have opinions and/or concerns and produces a sense of we-ness or togetherness as citizens of Laos amongst an otherwise disparate population.