Why China is determined to connect Southeast Asia by rail

Planned 3,000-km rail network raises debt, sovereignty concerns

MITSURU OBE and MARIMI KISHIMOTO, Nikkei staff writersJanuary 9, 2019 16:20 JST | ASEAN

TOKYO/LUANG PRABANG, Laos -- When Japanese trading house Itochu and train maker Hitachi withdrew from a soon-to-be-decided $7 billion tender for a high-speed rail project near Bangkok, it appeared to be another victory for China and its grand plans to connect Southeast Asia with railways.