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1 1 (December 18, 2018)

handle is hein.crs/govyvk0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Service Informing the legislative debate since 1914 Updated December 18, 2018 Laos The Lao People's Democratic Republic (LPDR or Laos) has a population of 7.2 million in a land-locked area around the size of Utah. Laos is one of Asia's poorest nations, and has been ruled by a single party, the Lao People's Revolutionary Party (LPRP), for more than four decades. Laos is a member of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the primary multilateral grouping in the region. It depends heavily on foreign investment-much of it from China-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). Laos at a Glance Capitol: Vientiene President and General Secretary of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party: Bounnhang Vorachith (2016) Prime Minister: Thongloun Sisoulith (2016) Per Capita GDP (purchasing power parity): $7,400 GDP composition: Agriculture (21oo); Industry (3300); Services (46%). Life Expectancy: 65 years Literacy: 80% Religious Affiliations: Buddhist, 6500; Christian, 2%; Laotian folk religions, 31oo; other or unspecified, 2%. Source: Central Intelligence Agency, The World Factbook, 2018. U.S.-Laos Re at ons The United States did not sever diplomatic relations with Laos, as it did with Cambodia and Vietnam, when communist parties in these countries took power in 1975, although it did downgrade U.S. representation in Vientiane. Full diplomatic ties were not restored until 1992. The United States and the LPDR have experienced a slow warming of relations over the past decade. In 2016, when Laos served as ASEAN's chair and host of key regional meetings, President Barack Obama became the first U.S. president to visit Laos. The U.S. government and Hmong- American groups, however, remain concerned about human rights issues and the Lao government's treatment of its Hmong minority. The LPDR government places substantial restrictions on civil and labor rights and political freedoms. There are a handful of known political prisoners, and in 2012 prominent community organizer Sombath Somphone disappeared in Vientiane, the capital, and is widely believed to have been abducted by government security forces. The Lao government is heavily influenced by China and Vietnam. Some observers say the LPDR hopes to offset its reliance on its neighbors, particularly China, by broadening https://crsrepc its relations with others, but it is wary about U.S. advocacy for democracy and human rights. U.S. engagement in Laos has focused on addressing Vietnam War legacy issues and helping the LPDR develop the legal and regulatory frameworks it needs to participate in global and regional trade agreements and integrate economically into ASEAN. U.S. and Lao officials meet regularly through ASEAN diplomatic channels as well as the Lower Mekong Initiative (LMI), a sub-regional foreign assistance effort launched by the State Department in 2009 to promote cooperation and capacity building in the areas of education, health, women's issues, regional infrastructure, and the environment. LMI participants are Burma (Myanmar), Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam. Congress did not extend non-discriminatory treatment to the products of Laos until 2004. Trade has grown since then, though Laos remains only the 163rd largest U.S. trade partner. In 2017, total trade between Laos and the United States was valued at $122 million. Lao exports to the United States totaled $96.4 million in 2017, more than double the levels of two years earlier, dominated by apparel items and precious metals. U.S. exports to Laos were $25.7 million in 2017. The U.S. government has noted progress and cooperation in some other areas of the bilateral relationship. In 2009, the United States and Laos exchanged defense attach6s, the first time in over 30 years, and the Obama Administration removed the prohibition on U.S. Export-Import Bank financing for U.S. companies in Laos, citing the country's commitment to opening its markets. In 2010, the two countries signed a comprehensive Open Skies agreement to expand and liberalize aviation ties. The Defense POW/MIA (Prisoner of War/Missing in Action) Accounting Agency (DPAA) has conducted approximately 150 Joint Field Activities (JFAs) with the LPDR government since 1985. Joint efforts have recovered the remains of 282 American service personnel while 291 remain missing. Bilateral cooperation on counternarcotics activities contributed to a significant decline in opium production between 1998 and 2007. Since then, opium production in Laos, which remains a major source country, has stabilized or declined marginally. Deve opment ssues The LPDR launched a market-oriented economic policy in 1986. The country's economic growth has been steady, largely fueled by construction, food processing, hydropower, and tourism. Between 1988 and 2008, the economy grew by over 6% per year on average, with the exception of 1997-1998, when the economy contracted due

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