[20191213]IF10236_老挝.pdf

https:/crsreports.congress.gov Updated December 13, 2019LaosThe Lao Peoples Democratic Republic (LPDR or Laos) has a population of 7.2 million in a land-locked area around the size of Utah. Laos has been ruled by a single party, the Lao Peoples Revolutionary Party, for more than four decades. The National Assembly, 73% of which consists of new members elected in 2016, reportedly has become more outspoken in recent years, particularly on the issue of official corruption. Laos is a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the primary multilateral grouping in Southeast Asia. The LPDR depends heavily on foreign investment, much of it from the Peoples Republic of China (PRC), for its infrastructure development. Since a 1986 economic opening, Laos has gradually implemented market-based economic reforms, and in 2013 became a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO). The economy has been growing steadily during the past decade, but Laos remains one of Asias poorest nations. Laos at a Glance Capitol: Vientiene President and General Secretary of the Lao Peoples Revolutionary Party: Bounnhang Vorachith (2016) Prime Minister: Thongloun Sisoulith (2016) Per Capita GDP