Determine to once again be an important player in Southeast Asia, the United States of America is successfully seeking cooperation with its Laotian counterpart without revealing yet what benefits Washington would offer. The prolonged absence of American had allowed Vietnam, Thailand, and China gain the upper hand stemming from political influence, economic influence even military alliance to the extent I supposed.  I really wonder what kind of grand strategy Vietnam and China would opt to circumvent the resurrection of American political power in this tiny Kingdom. By the same token, what would the United States do and how long would it take to diminish the irrefutable preponderant influences of Vietnam and China in Laos? We all know that China is on the rise and just 60 million overseas Chinese alone are quite powerful with the combined wealth of more than $1.5 trillion American dollars according to the article I read.

Whether or not we like them the Chinese, but they are an emerging superpower in the 21st century. I am afraid that the Unites States will have a hard time convincing itself as a true contender in the game especially in realm of Southeast Asia to which, per China's view, it is within its own backyard. Nonetheless, the United States is still the big brother in other Asian countries like Japan, Singapore, Philippines, Thailand, and so forth.

The Lao Foreign Minister, on the hand, seems to be very pleased with the idea of reengagement by its American counterpart comparing the bilateral cooperation as river basins between Mississippi and Mekong Delta. If the interrelations smoothly progress, soon Laos will realize its dream of having a beautiful capital city instead of its current sleepy Vientiane.

BruceLaoMan

Laotian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Thongloun Sisoulith asserted that a meeting between US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her counterparts from the four Mekong riparian states on the 24^th of July on the sidelines of the 42nd ASEAN Foreign Ministers' meeting signaled the beginning of US interest in expanding cooperation with these countries.

Thongloun said this was a welcomed initiative taken by Secretary Clinton who arrived in Thailand's southern beach town of Phuket on the 23^rd of July to attend the 16^th ASEAN-shepherded Asia-Pacific security talks, known as ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).

The meeting between Clinton and her counterparts from Laos, Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia was aimed at defining approaches for the expansion of regional cooperation in all areas, especially economic development in the Mekong sub-region focusing on infrastructures as well as public health and education.

According to the Lao Foreign Minister, this initiative is taken as part of bilateral cooperation between two river basins of the Mississippi and the Mekong respectively.

The lower Mekong river basin cooperation was initiated by Laos, Thailand,

Cambodia and Vietnam which, in the 1990's, formally established the Mekong River Commission with assistance from international donors. Since then, this partnership has been focusing on the formulation of regulations on sustainable and environment-friendly uses of water resources among the riparian states,

Recent initiatives have been gearing towards a tripartite cooperation such as the economic triangular cooperation involving the southern part of Thailand's northeastern region, the southern part of Laos and northern Cambodia, called the Emerald Triangle. Another one is the development of an economic triangle involving southern Laos, central Vietnam and northern Cambodia. But these initiatives are moving at a low speed.

For this reason, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam hoped the US interest would help expedite the development of these projects.

Songrit Pongern reported in Lao and summarized in English. Listen to Songrit's report for more details in Lao.