China Opens Its First Overseas Air Base in Laos
The site is jointly run and meant to train Lao air force pilots, while analysts say it gives Beijing its first full-fledged base in Southeast Asia.
- On September 29, China and Laos officially opened the China-Laos Joint Support and Training Center and China-Laos Friendship Aviation Academy at Ban Keun Airport in Vientiane Province, aimed at strengthening Laotian pilot training.
- The facility, located about 50 km from Vientiane, represents deepening military ties between the two nations, building on economic connections like the 1,035 km China-Laos Railway linking Kunming and Vientiane since December 2021.
- Laos becomes the third country hosting a People's Liberation Army outpost abroad, following China's 2017 logistics base in Djibouti and a joint training center at Cambodia's Ream Naval Base established in April 2025.
- Regional partners including Thailand and Vietnam are closely monitoring the site, which marks the PLA's first full-fledged air force base abroad, raising concerns about potential combat asset deployment in the region.
- Security analysts suggest the airfield expands Beijing's power projection capabilities across mainland Southeast Asia, supporting long-term strategy to secure shipping routes and extend influence in the disputed South China Sea.
13 Articles
13 Articles
China expands its military base network in Southeast Asia - The Tribune
China’s first overseas military base was set up in Djibouti in the Horn of Africa in 2017, but it now also has access to two bases in Southeast Asia. One is a naval facility in Cambodia, and the latest revelation is of a newly built air base in neighbouring Laos.
China Expands Its Military Base Network in Southeast Asia
Get latest articles and stories on World at LatestLY. China’s first overseas military base was set up in Djibouti in the Horn of Africa in 2017, but it now also has access to two bases in Southeast Asia. One is a naval facility in Cambodia, and the latest revelation is of a newly built air base in neighbouring Laos. World News | China Expands Its Military Base Network in Southeast Asia.
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A People's Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force WZ-7 high-altitude reconnaissance drone is seen a day before the 13th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai in southern China's Guangdong province on Sept. 27, 2021. (Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images)
China opens its first overseas air force base in Laos, analysts warn Beijing is only getting started
BANGKOK, Oct 3 — When China opened its first overseas air force base this week, a joint facility in isolated Laos, it was sending a signal — its foreign military foothold is...
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