GMS Contents

New PRC-Viet Nam Cross-border Rail Freight Service Launched

A new cross-border rail freight service from Suzhou, People’s Republic of China (PRC), to Hanoi, Viet Nam was launched by the East Asia Region section of Nippon Express. Suzhou West Railway Station is located amid industrial clusters of eastern PRC.  

The use of rail transport makes possible reliable lead times of 8-10 days. Ocean freight from PRC to Southeast Asia is usually challenged with constraints in space and reliable transport routes and schedule.  

Transmission tower in Lao PDR. Photo by IG (CC BY 2.0).

Lao PDR Signs Concession Agreement with Electricity Joint Venture

The Government of Lao PDR and the Electricite du Laos Transmission Company Limited (EDL-T), the joint venture between China Southern Power Grid and Electricite du Laos of the Lao PDR, have signed a Concession Agreement on 11 March. The agreement states that EDL-T will serve as the country's national power grid operator under the supervision of the Government of Lao PDR. It will invest, construct, and operate power grids (230 kilovolts and above), and implement grid interconnection projects between Lao PDR and its neighbors.  

Cambodia, Lao PDR, Viet Nam Leaders Vow to Boost Cooperation against COVID-19 and Strengthen Trade

Cambodia Prime Minister Hun Sen, Lao PDR Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith, and Viet Nam Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc held a virtual discussion on 10 March 2021. They lauded their growing relationship and agreed to further strengthen their cooperation in the fight against COVID-19 and in other sectors, including connectivity, energy, and trade and investment.  

Lao PDR expressed appreciation for Cambodia’s medical supply donation to help them combat COVID-19.  

National Single Window Simplifies and Streamlines Lao PDR’s Cross-border Trade

The National Single Window in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (PDR) aims to simplify and streamline the import, export, and transit of all goods and cargo at all international borders and airports in the Lao PDR. The National Single Window is linked to the ASYCUDA system. It facilitates customs clearance and highlights transparency in trade.  

Financing for Tech Startups

Tech startups can provide needed digital solutions that can reinvigorate economies. However, findings from Cambodia, Thailand, and Viet Nam show that tech startups rely on an array of small financing sources and that venture capital is elusive. This webinar will discuss financing sources and policy options to support impactful tech startups in the greentech, agritech, edtech, and healthtech when patient capital is in short supply.

Developing economies in Southeast Asia can benefit from action in key policy areas: investment in green infrastructure, digiital transformation, big data , and  revenue mobilization through tax reform

Green Investments, Revenue Mobilization, Big Data Key to Southeast Asia’s COVID-19 Economic Recovery

Southeast Asian countries can benefit from investments in green infrastructure, digital transformation, big data, and revenue mobilization through tax reform as the region recovers from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, said Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Masatsugu Asakawa at the second Southeast Asia Development Symposium.

The ACGF Green Recovery Program aims to leverage GCF and ADB funds to catalyze financing from development partners and private capital sources to support more than $4 billion worth of green infrastructure projects across the region.

$300 Million from Green Climate Fund to Support ADB’s First Green Recovery Program in Southeast Asia

The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has allocated $300 million to support the Asian Development Bank's (ADB) efforts to help Southeast Asia shape a climate-resilient, environmentally sustainable economic recovery from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.


Parks and scenic areas in Beijing, PRC, have taken measures to control the number of visitors and limit them to 40% of the same period of previous years. Photo by ADB.

Fourth Meeting of the GMS Urban Development Working Group

The Fourth Meeting of the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS) Urban Development Working Group (UDWG-4) was held via web-based conferencing on 17 December 2020. Mr. Xu Jianping, Director General, Department of Regional Opening-up, National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), chaired the meeting with Mr.

The Asian Transport Outlook is a multiyear program with potential to serve as the primary knowledge base on transport for Asia,

Asian Transport Outlook Data to Support Larger and More Sustainable Transport Sector in Asia

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has released a first batch of data as part of a new regional knowledge platform to guide sustainable transport development in Asia and the Pacific.

Pages

view all content