Long one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia, Laos has moved in recent years to capitalize on the region's robust economic growth and increased integration by recasting itself as a "corridor country" able to facilitate cross-border trade across its land-locked territory. This plan is highly dependent on the cooperation of and interaction with neighboring countries that have traditionally treated Laos as a strategic buffer or quasi-colony, contributing to its isolation and underdevelopment, and that until recently showed little sign of changing their approach. However, competition in Southeast Asia among China, the United States, India and Japan has led these countries and others to increase their interest in Laos.