China expands overseas military presence with new Laos air force centre

China has launched a rare air force support and training centre in Laos, the Ministry of Defence announced on Tuesday.

The China-Laos Joint Support and Training Centre and the China-Laos Friendship Aviation Academy are now in operation at the Ban Keun Airport, aiming to help the Laotian Air Force train its pilots, the ministry said in a statement.

The two institutions will be jointly maintained and operated by both sides, the statement said, without providing details on what personnel or equipment would be based at the airport, or how many personnel or how much equipment.

This move marks a strategic expansion of China’s limited overseas military presence, adding another foothold in Southeast Asia following a similar joint naval facility in Cambodia.

The ministry said that the construction and operation of the facilities are the result of mutual respect and equal consultation.

“They comply with domestic laws of both sides as well as relevant international law and international practice, and do not target any third party,” it said. “They will help further strengthen practical cooperation between the two militaries and safeguard regional peace and stability.”

The wording is almost identical to its statement last year for the official inauguration of the China-Cambodia Joint Training and Support Centre at Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base.

Ban Keun Airport is in the northwest Vientiane province, about 45 km (28 miles) north of the Lao capital Vientiane. Situated at the heart of the Indochina Peninsula, the airfield formerly functioned as a tactical support site in the US network of airstrips in Laos during the Laotian Civil War and Vietnam war era and ceased active operations after the conflicts.

According to reports based on commercial satellite imagery, construction at the Ban Keun site began around October last year and had reached a substantial scale by September this year. The longest runway is about 2,000 metres (6,562 feet).

Previous Chinese overseas defence projects have drawn concern from Washington and its allies.

The People’s Liberation Army set up its first overseas military outpost – a naval logistics base in Djibouti in the Horn of Africa – in 2017 to support its anti-piracy missions in the Gulf of Aden and other operations in East Africa and the Middle East.

Last year, Beijing opened the China-Cambodia Joint Training and Support Centre at Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base on the Gulf of Thailand. The Cambodian government has denied the permanent stationing of PLA forces, stressing that the base remains open to visits from all nations. Days later two vessels from Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) became the first foreign naval ships to make a port call at the naval base.

The Lao People’s Liberation Army Air Force operates a small fleet of fewer than 40 aircraft, primarily transport helicopters and light jet trainers, with no modern fighter jets in service. Laotian pilot training has long depended heavily on foreign partners, particularly China and Russia.

Laos and China have maintained close ties for decades, with increased cooperation in recent years. The China-Laos railway, a key Belt and Road Initiative project, officially opened in 2021, which has significantly improved connectivity between the two countries, helping deepen Laos’ economic integration with China.