Overview
- China announced Tuesday that the China-Laos Joint Support and Training Center and the China-Laos Friendship Aviation Academy are now operational at Ban Keun airport in Laos.
- The Chinese defence ministry said the centres are jointly run with Laos to strengthen pilot, ground crew and flight personnel training for the Lao air force.
- The announcement gave no public details on numbers of personnel, types of equipment, or the scope and duration of basing arrangements, and Laos’ embassy in Bangkok did not respond to requests for comment.
- U.S. officials and regional observers have previously expressed concern about expanded Chinese military-linked activity in Southeast Asia, even as Beijing stresses the sites are not directed at any third party.
- The new Laos sites join China’s limited overseas footprint, including a logistics base in Djibouti and joint arrangements linked to Cambodia’s Ream, and could reshape how Laos trains aircrews and cooperates on search, rescue and disaster relief in the region.