Radio Free Asia

Radio Free Asia brings award-winning, domestic journalism and uncensored content to people in six Asian countries that restrict free speech, freedom of the press, and access to reliable information beyond their borders. RFA also provides educational and cultural programming, as well as forums for audiences to engage in open dialogue and freely express opinions.

Billboard advertisement for the Laos-China railway in Oudomxay province, Laos, June 25, 2017.

China's fast track to influence: Building a railway in Laos

A high-speed railway connecting Laos to China is among Beijing’s most aggressive investment forays into Southeast Asia. The U.S. $6 billion project will stretch 409 km (254 miles) from the Lao-China border to the Lao capital, Vientiane.

A construction crew builds a tunnel for the Lao-Chinese high-speed railway in northern Laos' Luang Namtha province, July 12, 2017.

Compensation plans for Lao rail project finalized, under review

Construction site for the Laos-China railway in Luang Namtha province, Laos, October 3, 2017.

High-speed Rail Project Will Force Thousands of Lao Families to Relocate

Lao villagers attend meeting held to promote Lao-Chinese railway project, Oct. 27, 2016.

Lao Villagers Barred From Asking Questions on Railway Project

A farmer works in paddy field under the power lines near Nam Theun 2 dam in Khammouane province, Laos.

The Central Government in Laos Takes Over Railway Compensation Operations

Models of high-speed trains that will operate on the Laos-China railway are displayed during the project's groundbreaking ceremony in Vientiane, Dec. 2, 2015.

Laos And China Come to Terms on Loan Interest Rate For Railway Project