Analysts: China’s First Overseas Air Base in Laos Signals Growth

When China opened its first overseas air force base this week at a joint facility in isolated Laos, it signaled that its foreign military foothold is set to grow, analysts said. The facility differs from Beijing's prior overseas installations, which were primarily naval bases.

The Ban Keun Airfield Development in Laos

The Joint Flight Training and Support Centre is located at Ban Keun airfield, north of the Laotian capital Vientiane. Both communist nations stated that the centre aims to train Laotian air force pilots. China’s defence ministry added that the site would be maintained for normal operations by both sides and did not target any third party. Security researcher Collin Koh noted that China, which is Laos’s largest creditor, is trying to showcase its ability to extend defense diplomacy with amenable countries. Training Laotian pilots requires China to place military assets on the ground, ranging from modest transport aircraft to modern fighter jets. Joshua Kurlantzick, a South-east Asia expert at the Council on Foreign Relations, said that China is not building just one base in Laos and stopping, anticipating more facilities in friendly nations.

Comparing Overseas Footprints in Asia and Africa

China’s foreign military footprint remains heavily dwarfed by the United States, which operates several hundred bases around the world. According to the SIPRI Military Expenditure Database, China only spends roughly a third of what the US spends on its military. China’s overseas expansion began in 2017 with a base in Djibouti near the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, which now includes a sophisticated signals intelligence facility. Beijing has also funded upgrades to the Ream naval base in Cambodia, where two Chinese anti-submarine corvettes have docked for long stretches. Unlike Ream or Djibouti, the Laos centre will likely be used exclusively by the Laotian and Chinese militaries, serving as a convenient stopover for China’s air force.

Experts Weigh Laos Military Facility Impact

Asia military specialist Carl Thayer warned against alarmism, saying that the Ban Keun site currently supports only light aircraft and military trainers. Thayer noted that while the development marks a change, it does not constitute a crisis at the moment. For Laos, the facility brings military training, financial incentives, and closer diplomatic ties with Beijing, with Kurlantzick observing that the arrangement primarily serves to keep China happy.

Questions Regarding the Laos Air Base

What military assets will be stationed at the Ban Keun facility?

Neither the Chinese nor Laotian governments have released official details regarding the specific personnel or military hardware to be based at the site. Security researcher Collin Koh noted that combat assets could potentially be deployed in the area in the name of training the Laotian air force.

How does the Laos facility compare to China’s base in Djibouti?

Unlike the base in Djibouti—which features a sophisticated signals intelligence facility that prompted France and the US to consider moving their own bases in Djibouti—the Laos centre is designed for bilateral training and will likely be used exclusively by Chinese and Laotian forces.