China’s New Laos Military Facility: Training Centre Or Strategic Foothold?

China has expanded its military presence in Southeast Asia on Tuesday, with a new support and training facility in Laos, where satellite imagery shows an airfield and new buildings constructed over the past year on what was previously farmland.

The China-Laos Joint Support and Training Center and the China-Laos Friendship Aviation Academy are now operational at Ban Keun, about 50 km north of the Lao capital Vientiane, according to China’s Ministry of National Defence. Beijing has said the facility will be used to train air force pilots and is not directed against any third country.

Commercial satellite imagery reviewed by Reuters showed construction of the airfield began in late 2025. By September, the site had a paved runway, a parallel taxiway and apron, and several new buildings.

What China Says

China has not publicly provided details on the number of personnel, equipment or facilities that will be permanently based at the site.

The Chinese embassy in Vientiane has described expanding military cooperation with Laos as part of wider bilateral ties. At a reception marking the 99th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army in July, China’s defence attaché said the two militaries had made progress in joint exercises and training, medical support and personnel development.

In June, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Lao President Thongloun Sisoulith also agreed to deepen defence and law-enforcement cooperation. China’s Foreign Ministry said the two sides would use a new “3+3” strategic dialogue mechanism covering diplomacy, defence and public security to strengthen security cooperation.

Why The Facility Matters

The new facility gives Chinese and Lao forces a location in Laos for aviation training and military support, reducing the need for some Lao personnel to travel abroad for advanced training.

Rachel Vandenbrink, a senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, told Reuters that the support-centre designation could indicate an effort by China’s People’s Liberation Army to establish persistent access to a logistics hub, potentially including a small forward support element. She said the more immediate significance could be the deeper institutional relationship between the Chinese and Lao militaries.

Another regional security scholar, Collin Koh, said the facility could be considered similar to China’s logistics base in Djibouti and could represent its first full-fledged overseas military base in Southeast Asia. Reuters reported that China already operates a joint training and support centre at Cambodia’s Ream naval base.

China’s Regional Footprint

The facility is part of a broader expansion of military and security ties between China and countries in Southeast Asia.

Reuters reported that China operates a logistics base in Djibouti and has developed military-grade facilities on several disputed South China Sea reefs. China has also expanded defence cooperation with Laos through military exercises and training.

For Laos, the new centre comes as defence cooperation with Beijing deepens alongside wider economic and political ties. Xi said in June that China regarded Laos as a priority in its neighbourhood diplomacy, while the two sides agreed to expand cooperation in trade, investment, energy and connectivity as well as defence and security.

The Lao government has not publicly responded to Reuters' questions about the new facility. The site's exact military role beyond training and support, including what personnel and equipment will be based there, remains unclear from the information publicly released by China.