China and Laos open joint air force training centre near Vientiane

Neighbours watch closely as Beijing's military footprint deepens in Southeast Asia

By LineZotpaper

Published19 October 2026

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China and Laos have inaugurated a Joint Support and Training Centre at Ban Keun, a newly built airfield about 50 kilometres north of Vientiane. The two countries say the facility is for training Lao air force pilots, but satellite images and regional reactions have fuelled debate over whether it marks Beijing's first overseas air base.

China's Ministry of National Defense said in a statement posted online that the centre, inaugurated on September 29, is jointly maintained and operated to help Laos strengthen its air force pilot training. The statement added that it "is not directed against any third party and contributes to enhancing practical military cooperation as well as promoting regional peace and stability." Laos's state news agency echoed that line, calling it a "new step in military aviation cooperation."

Satellite images taken the next day and reviewed by Reuters show a runway about 2,000 metres long, eight aircraft — likely Hongdu JL-8 trainers, used by both countries — and several vehicles on site. Laos currently operates four of the planes, according to the International Institute for Strategic Studies.

Opinion among analysts is divided. Joshua Kurlantzick of the Council on Foreign Relations described the facility as the "first air force base that China has abroad." But Olli Pekka Suorsa of Rabdan Academy wrote that the runway and apron are too small to support sustained power projection. Chinese military analyst Song Zhongping said the centre could only be considered a base if it targeted a specific country and noted that no full combat system had been deployed.

Hunter Marston of the Lowy Institute said the development could expand the operational range of People's Liberation Army fighters and reflected Beijing's growing influence in Laos, but cautioned against reading too much into its current form. He noted that a runway extension would allow long-range bombers to project power across Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

Thailand's Defence Ministry spokesperson, Rear Admiral Surasant Kongsiri, said granting permission for the facility was Laos's sovereign right but that Thailand would "closely monitor developments and how the matter proceeds, particularly with regard to building mutual trust." An anonymous Vietnamese official told The Associated Press that Hanoi views the centre as primarily for training but believes China's decision is intended to strengthen its influence and that it places "additional military pressure on Vietnam."

The airfield at Ban Keun was once "Lima Site 44," used by the CIA's Air America during the Vietnam War. Satellite images show work began in late 2025 and is ongoing. Analysts note the runway appears designed for extension, leaving open the possibility of future upgrades.

The centre adds to a short list of Chinese overseas military installations, which include a base in Djibouti, installations in the South China Sea and the Ream Naval Base in Cambodia. Each has been described by Beijing as cooperative and peaceful, but the pattern is raising questions about long-term strategic intent.

Analysis

Why This Matters

The facility gives China a foothold in the Mekong region with potential to project air power across several ASEAN countries.
It could alter the military balance in a region where the United States holds treaty alliances and conducts regular multinational exercises.
Reactions from Thailand and Vietnam, both key US partners, signal growing unease and may reshape regional diplomacy and security planning.

Background

China has repeatedly stated it has no ambition to build a network of overseas military bases. Yet in recent years it has established or upgraded facilities in Djibouti, the South China Sea, Cambodia and now Laos. The Ban Keun centre is the latest in this pattern. Laos, a landlocked neighbour with a small air force, has historically been close to Vietnam, but Chinese economic influence — via the Belt and Road Initiative and the Laos-China railway — has grown rapidly, giving Beijing increased leverage.

Key Perspectives

China and Laos: The centre is purely for training Lao air force pilots, belongs to Laos, and is not directed against any third party. Thailand: A US treaty ally that shares a long border with Laos, Thailand respects Vientiane's sovereignty but will monitor the development closely for any impact on regional trust. Vietnam: Hanoi is publicly circumspect but privately concerned that Chinese military cooperation with its neighbours is eroding Vietnam's regional influence and placing new military pressure along its border. Analysts: Split between those who view the facility as a potential future base for power projection and those who see it as a modest training centre that does not yet represent a major shift in capabilities.

What to Watch

Runway extension or construction of additional aprons, aircraft shelters or fuel storage, which would signal ambitions beyond training.
Deployment of larger aircraft or permanent Chinese personnel at the site.
How Vietnam adjusts its defence posture and diplomatic ties with China, Laos and the United States.
Whether the US recalibrates its military exercises and deployments in Thailand and the broader region.

Sources

What we know about China's new joint training facility in Laos · Just In

Checked

12 claims in this story checked against 1 source: 10 supported.

Show each claim

SupportedChina and Laos open joint air force training centre near VientianeJust In: “China and Laos have established a jointly run training centre at a newly built airfield at Ban Keun, about 50 kilometres north of Laos's capital, Vientiane.”
SupportedNeighbours watch closely as Beijing's military footprint deepens in Southeast AsiaJust In: “Thailand's Ministry of Defence spokesperson... said granting permission for a Chinese facility was Vientiane's sovereign right... 'Thailand will continue to closely monitor developments' … 'China's deployment of military forces in Laos would naturally place a certain degree of additional military pressure on Vietnam' … 'China's political influence within and among Vietnam's neighbors has grown'”
SupportedThe centre was inaugurated on September 29Just In: “China's Ministry of National Defense said in a statement posted online that the China-Laos Joint Support and Training Centre was officially inaugurated on September 29.”
SupportedIt is not directed against any third party and contributes to enhancing practical military cooperation as well as promoting regional peace and stability.Just In: “It is not directed against any third party and contributes to enhancing practical military cooperation as well as promoting regional peace and stability.”
SupportedLaos's state news agency called it a 'new step in military aviation cooperation.'Just In: “A report by the government's Lao News Agency echoed China's statement, saying it marked a 'new step in military aviation cooperation between the two countries'.”
SupportedSatellite images show a runway about 2,000 metres long, eight aircraft — likely Hongdu JL-8 trainersJust In: “Satellite images of Ban Keun reviewed by Reuters, taken on September 30, showed a runway about 2,000 metres long with eight aircraft and several vehicles already on site. Analysts told Reuters the planes appeared to be Hongdu JL-8 aircraft”
SupportedLaos currently operates four of the planesJust In: “Laos currently has four of the planes, according to the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies”
SupportedJoshua Kurlantzick described the facility as the 'first air force base that China has abroad.'Just In: “Council on Foreign Relations South-East Asia expert Joshua Kurlantzick told AFP the Ban Keun facility was the 'first air force base that China has abroad'.”
SupportedOlli Pekka Suorsa wrote that the runway and apron are too small to support sustained power projection.Just In: “Olli Pekka Suorsa, an assistant professor at Abu Dhabi's Rabdan Academy, writing in an opinion piece for The Diplomat that the runway and apron of the 'innocuous airfield' are too small to support power projection.”
Partly supportedAn anonymous Vietnamese official told The Associated Press that Hanoi views the centre as primarily for training but believes China's decision is intended to strengthen its influence and that it places 'additional military pressure on Vietnam.'Just In: “The Associated Press reported that a Vietnamese official ... said Hanoi considered the facility 'as a training centre primarily focused on training and humanitarian relief'. 'However, Vietnam also believes that China's decision to establish a military program at this point is intended to strengthen its influence in Laos,' said the official. 'China's deployment of military forces in Laos would naturally place a certain degree of additional military pressure on Vietnam as well.'”
SupportedThe centre adds to a short list of Chinese overseas military installations, which include a base in Djibouti, installations in the South China Sea and the Ream Naval Base in Cambodia.Just In: “They include a series of installations in the South China Sea, in disputed territory claimed by China, and a base in Djibouti... Beijing also paid to expand the Ream Naval Base in Cambodia”
Not in the sourcesEach has been described by Beijing as cooperative and peaceful, but the pattern is raising questions about long-term strategic intent.Just In