news If Laos fell into a Chinese debt trap, would it make a noise? Maria Siow A Laos trainee learns signalling skills from a Chinese mentor Wei Songtao as part of work on the China-Laos railway. Photo: Xinhua Cambodia's close ties with China have often led to criticism that the Southeast Asian country is too dependent on, and even a client state of, the world's second largest economy. However, its next-door neighbour Laos - despite enjoying billions of dollars of Chinese funding - has seldom been viewed in the same light. Why not? Analysts says this is due to the more adroit way in which Laos has handled relations with China and its other neighbours, most notably Vietnam.