China’s establishment of a joint military training center at Ban Keun Airport in Laos has raised concerns among Southeast Asian nations regarding the potential expansion of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) influence in the region. The facility, located approximately 50 kilometers from Vientiane, began operations in September, as stated by the Chinese Ministry of Defense.
The China-Laos Joint Support and Training Center, along with the China-Laos Friendship Aviation Academy, signifies a notable development in China’s military reach. Experts believe this move could facilitate China’s operational capacity across Southeast Asia, a region with various territorial disputes involving China.
Oh Ei Sun, a principal adviser at the Pacific Research Center in Kuala Lumpur, noted that China’s gradual establishment of military bases under the guise of training is part of its broader strategy to assert itself as a significant power. He commented that Laos, a long-standing ally, is a fitting location for China’s first military facility in Southeast Asia.
According to the Chinese defense ministry, the center is designed to enhance the training capabilities of Laos’ air force pilots. Analysis from the China Global South Project indicates that this center will enable a continuous Chinese military presence, primarily focused on promoting procurement of Chinese defense equipment and supporting PLA air operations.
The Chinese defense ministry emphasized that their activities at the airport are not intended to target any third party and are aimed at fostering “practical military cooperation.” However, commentators like Nguyen Thanh Trung, a political scientist at Fulbright University in Vietnam, suggest that this development could deepen China’s military foothold in mainland Southeast Asia, particularly following the establishment of a naval presence at Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base.
Denny Roy, a senior fellow at the East-West Centre in Hawaii, posited that China’s interest in establishing capabilities in Laos is to complement its naval installations in Cambodia with air power. Over the past two decades, China has bolstered its claims in the South China Sea by developing military facilities on artificial islands amid territorial disputes with several neighboring countries.
Some analysts see the Ban Keun facility, along with Ream, creating a broader Chinese security network in the region. Hangyu Lee, an East Asia Pacific analyst, pointed out that Vietnam may perceive this development as a strategic challenge, considering its historical reliance on Laos as a buffer state against China.
China’s involvement at the Laotian airport mirrors its construction of bases elsewhere, such as its established support base in Djibouti. While Ban Keun represents a new air-focused base model distinct from Djibouti and Ream, experts suggest that its strategic importance could grow, potentially serving as a pre-positioned base for Chinese aircraft and accommodating larger military assets in the future.
