In a move analysts see as both a survival strategy and a calculated signal of dissatisfaction with Asean, Laos has joined the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) as a dialogue partner.The decision was confirmed on September 1 during the SCO summit in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin, where Laotian President Thongloun Sisoulith thanked the Eurasian bloc’s 10 member states for their unanimous support.Laos was “ready to participate in the promotion of peace and stability in the region and...