China Opens Joint Military Air Facility In Laos, Expanding Overseas Footprint
Reuters reported that the China-Laos Joint Support and Training Center and the China-Laos Friendship Aviation Academy became operational at Ban Keun Airport, about 50 kilometers north of Vientiane. Satellite imagery reviewed by Reuters showed a newly built runway, taxiway, apron and other facilities, while the Pentagon's latest assessment of China's military expansion did not identify Laos among countries where Beijing was considering additional overseas military facilities.
China's Defense Ministry said the center would help train Lao Air Force pilots and would be jointly maintained and operated by China and Laos. Beijing said the facility was established through consultation between the two countries, complies with relevant laws and international practice, and is“not directed against any third party.”
The opening marks a significant expansion of China's overseas military presence. Beijing established its first overseas military base in Djibouti in 2017 and has since supported the development of a joint military facility at Cambodia's Ream naval base. The Laos facility adds an air-focused component to that expanding network in mainland Southeast Asia.
The strategic significance of Ban Keun remains uncertain. China has not publicly disclosed how many Chinese personnel or aircraft will operate from the facility. Reuters quoted analysts who said the center could provide the People's Liberation Army with more persistent access to a logistics hub capable of supporting personnel and forces rotating through Laos.
The facility is located near Thailand, a U.S. treaty ally, and within reach of Vietnam and other strategically important Southeast Asian countries. Thailand has said Laos has the sovereign right to decide whether to host a Chinese military facility, while also indicating that it will closely monitor developments.
The development also comes amid deeper China-Laos military ties. The two countries have conducted joint exercises, while Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing in June, where the two sides discussed strategic cooperation, including national defense.
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