VIENTIANE: China has opened a joint military training facility at a former CIA-operated airfield in northwestern Laos, a development drawing attention to Beijing’s growing military cooperation in Southeast Asia.
The facility, located at Ban Keun Airport, includes the China-Laos Joint Support and Training Center and the China-Laos Friendship Aviation Academy. Situated around 40 miles north of the Laotian capital, Vientiane, the base is approximately 25 miles from the nearest border with Thailand.
According to China’s Defense Ministry, the facilities began operations on September 29 and are intended to strengthen the training and development of Laotian air force pilots. Both countries will jointly maintain the installations.
Satellite imagery obtained by CNN from intelligence platform Vantor shows that a runway measuring approximately 6,500 feet, along with taxiways and parking space for up to 22 aircraft, has been completed since December. The images also show eight aircraft, which may include Hongdu JL-8 training and light-attack jets.
China’s Defense Ministry said the facilities were not directed against any third party and would strengthen military cooperation between Beijing and Vientiane while contributing to regional peace and stability.
The site has historical significance, having served as a logistics and support hub for Air America, a CIA-operated aviation company involved in covert operations during the Vietnam War.
China currently maintains one officially acknowledged overseas military base in Djibouti, which opened in 2017. Beijing has also financed a major expansion of Cambodia’s Ream Naval Base, where Chinese and Cambodian forces operate jointly. The development has raised concerns over China’s potential military presence in the Gulf of Thailand.
However, analysts say the new facility in Laos does not necessarily represent a major shift in the regional military balance.
Drew Thompson, a senior fellow at Singapore’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, said it was difficult to identify a direct threat to US forces in the region from the base, questioning the operational value of launching aircraft from the location.
Similarly, Rachel Vandenbrink, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, told Reuters that China’s selection of Ban Keun was likely an opportunity to establish a presence rather than a response to an immediate operational requirement.
Nevertheless, Laos’s strategic location, shared border with China and growing infrastructure links, including a railway connecting the two countries, could make the facility valuable for Beijing’s long-term engagement in mainland Southeast Asia.
