By Amy Killian Laos has reaped tremendous benefits since its economic opening 15 years ago. The economy grew an average of 7.1 percent a year from 2001 to 2010, making Laos one of the fastest-growing economies in Southeast Asia. The…
Foreign direct investment (FDI) is a major driver of economic growth in many countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). ASEAN’s six largest economies – Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam – have become increasingly attractive…
Recently, Asia watchers have seen a surge of nominations for ambassadorial positions as President Barack Obama solidifies his second term foreign policy team and diplomatic leadership overseas. The CSIS Asia team has profiled each of the five incoming U.S. ambassadors…
Who is he? Philip S. Goldberg is a career diplomat who formerly served as U.S. ambassador to Bolivia, chief of mission in Kosovo, and deputy chief of mission in Chile. Goldberg served as assistant secretary in the State Department’s Bureau…
Who is he? Ambassador Robert Blake entered the Foreign Service in 1985 and has since served tours at U.S. embassies in Tunisia, Algeria, Nigeria, and Egypt. Most recently, Blake served as assistant secretary of state for South and Central Asian…
Who is he? Kirk Wagar is a Miami-based lawyer known for his active role in Democratic politics and fundraising. He has been engaged in the Democratic Party since the 1990s and ran the Florida finance operation for President Barack Obama’s…
By Carl Thayer On July 25, President Barack Obama and President Truong Tan Sang announced their decision to “form a U.S.-Vietnam Comprehensive Partnership to provide an overarching framework for advancing the relationship.” Prior to Sang’s visit to Washington from July…
By Daniel Mitchell Roughly three weeks ahead of the national elections in Cambodia scheduled for July 28, the House Subcommittee on Foreign Affairs held a hearing entitled “Cambodia’s Looming Political and Social Crisis” just as campaigning convoys of the two…
Who is he? Mr. Kem Sokha is deputy president of the Cambodian National Rescue Party (CNRP). He founded the Human Rights Party in 2007, which later merged with the largest opposition group, the Sam Rainsy Party, to form the CNRP…
By Le Dinh Tinh Vietnamese president Truong Tan Sang’s official three-day visit to Washington, DC, from July 24 to July 26 represents a strategic step in implementing bold initiatives set forth earlier by the country’s top policy makers. In 2011,…
