China opens joint military training facility at Ban Keun airport in Laos

Centre · 2China has opened the China-Laos Joint Support and Training Center at Ban Keun Airport, north of the Lao capital Vientiane, which formally began operations in late September alongside a new China-Laos Friendship Aviation Academy. 1 2 Centre · 1Beijing says the centre will mainly help train Lao air force pilots and will be jointly maintained and operated by the two countries. 1 Centre · 2China's Defence Ministry said the two institutions are "not directed against any third party" and aim to deepen practical military cooperation and contribute to regional peace and stability. 1 2

Centre · 2The South China Morning Post describes the site as widely regarded as China's third overseas defence base, after Djibouti (established 2017) and Cambodia's Ream Naval Base; Deutsche Welle says it could give the Chinese air force its first dedicated overseas foothold. 2 1 Centre · 1Satellite images taken on 30 September by Vantor show what security analysts believe are eight K-8 light attack jets and more than two dozen support vehicles on a runway still under construction; the runway is expected to be extended from 2,000 to 3,000 metres, according to Keith Barney of the Australian National University. 2 Centre · 1Analysts say the facility could expand: Hunter Marston of the Lowy Institute told DW it could become a more permanent base and that Beijing has ample leverage over Vientiane to seek exclusive access, while Collin Koh of Nanyang Technological University said China could add advisers, trainer aircraft and prepositioned supplies. 1

Centre · 1Koh also argued that Laos being landlocked limits the site's operational value, since Chinese aircraft already operate from larger bases in southern China. 1 Centre · 2Both outlets quote analysts saying the facility may unsettle Vietnam, which traditionally sees Laos as within its sphere of influence; Euan Graham of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute called it a risk of "strategic encirclement", and Abdul Rahman Yaacob said Hanoi may see it as China encroaching on its area of influence. 1 2 Centre · 2From Laos's side, analyst Olli Pekka Suorsa said China is the chosen partner for modernising a small air force that already flies Chinese-made SAIC LE500 and Hongdu K-8 aircraft, and that Chinese instructors would allow pilots to finish training in Laos; Simon Creak called the joint-facility model unprecedented for Lao military capacity, while saying Laos is highly unlikely to change its non-aligned foreign policy. 2 1

Centre · 2The opening comes as Laos faces heavy debt to Chinese lenders; DW cites an IMF estimate of public debt around 81% of GDP, while the SCMP says public and external debt exceeds up to 118% of GDP, and Barney cautioned against assuming China imposed particular terms for Ban Keun. 1 2