The Lao Communist Party has announced a change in leadership. During a weeklong party meeting, Bounnhang Vorachit was named secretary-general. Bounnhang is 78-years-old. He has long-standing ties with Vietnam, dating back to military training and as a student. The Lao Communist Party also named Foreign Affairs Minister Thongloun Sisoulith to the position of prime minister. Observers say the retirement of two pro-China members of the party’s leadership may weaken Chinese influence on the country. China has been the largest foreign investor in Laos. Vietnam and Thailand are second and third on the list. State media said almost 700 delegates attended the communist party meeting in Vientiane. This was the tenth time the party has met since it took power in 1975. The group has more than 200,000 members. Thitinan Pongsudhirak is a political scientist at Chulalongkorn University in Thailand. He says the new party leaders will not make major policy changes. And he says the government will continue to fail to protect the rights of its citizens.
Title: Lao Communists Name New Leaders
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/785/lao_audio.m4a' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Lao Communists Name New Leaders' data-article-id='1185'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='4604'>The Lao Communist Party has announced a change in leadership.</span> <span data-start-time='4604' data-end-time='11417'>During a weeklong party meeting, Bounnhang Vorachit was named secretary-general. </span> <span data-start-time='11417' data-end-time='14771'>Bounnhang is 78-years-old. </span> <span data-start-time='14771' data-end-time='22854'>He has long-standing ties with Vietnam, dating back to military training and as a student.</span> <span data-start-time='22854' data-end-time='31271'>The Lao Communist Party also named Foreign Affairs Minister Thongloun Sisoulith to the position of prime minister.</span> <span data-start-time='31271' data-end-time='41042'>Observers say the retirement of two pro-China members of the party’s leadership may weaken Chinese influence on the country. </span> <span data-start-time='41042' data-end-time='45667'>China has been the largest foreign investor in Laos. </span> <span data-start-time='45667' data-end-time='51313'>Vietnam and Thailand are second and third on the list.</span> <span data-start-time='51313' data-end-time='59417'>State media said almost 700 delegates attended the communist party meeting in Vientiane. </span> <span data-start-time='59417' data-end-time='66354'>This was the tenth time the party has met since it took power in 1975. </span> <span data-start-time='66354' data-end-time='70750'>The group has more than 200,000 members.</span> <span data-start-time='70750' data-end-time='78729'>Thitinan Pongsudhirak is a political scientist at Chulalongkorn University in Thailand. </span> <span data-start-time='78729' data-end-time='84604'>He says the new party leaders will not make major policy changes. </span> <span data-start-time='84604' data-end-time='90854'>And he says the government will continue to fail to protect the rights of its citizens.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/785/lao_image.jpg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=5131 data-hint-location='14771' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/785/what_does_ties_mean.m4a'>What does ties mean?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='connection'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/785/limits_or_restrictions.m4a'><span>limits or restrictions</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/785/connection.m4a'><span>connection</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/785/to_exist_or_continue.m4a'><span>to exist or continue</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/785/an_occurrence.m4a'><span>an occurrence</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=5132 data-hint-location='0' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/785/what_did_the_lao_communist_party_announce.m4a'>What did the Lao Communist Party announce?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='leadership change'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/785/military_treaty.m4a'><span>military treaty</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/785/new_trade_deal.m4a'><span>new trade deal</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/785/leadership_change.m4a'><span>leadership change</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/785/law_change.m4a'><span>law change</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=5133 data-hint-location='41042' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/785/_blank__has_been_the_largest_foreign_investor_in_laos.m4a'><span class='blank'>China</span> has been the largest foreign investor in Laos.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='China'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/785/china.m4a'><span>China</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/785/thailand.m4a'><span>Thailand</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/785/vietnam.m4a'><span>Vietnam</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/785/indonesia.m4a'><span>Indonesia</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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