China challenging Vietnam dominance in Cambodia, Laos through BRI projects: Analyst
Defense analyst Derek Grossman has said that by leveraging Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects, China has increasingly challenged Vietnam’s dominance in Cambodia and Laos, and that Vietnam will have to find alternative means of engaging its neighbors to combat Chinese influence.In an opinion article, Grossman stated that China’s strengthening ties to Cambodia and Laos in recent years have real effects on Vietnam. “For example, Chinese support has likely contributed to Cambodian and Laotian decisions not to fully support Vietnam’s stance on ASEAN’s Code of Conduct negotiations in the South China Sea.”“China has increasingly challenged Vietnam’s dominance in Cambodia and Laos, primarily by leveraging Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) projects to raise its influence in the region. Outspent b...