China Expands Military Footprint With New Support Base in Laos Josh Xiao The Chinese military opened a new logistics base at an airport in Laos, expanding the People’s Liberation Army’s overseas presence as it seeks to operate farther from home. The facility, the China-Laos Military Joint Support and Training Center at Ban Keun Airport, began operations Tuesday, according to a statement from China’s Ministry of Defense. The base is intended to help Laos strengthen the training of air force pilots and will be jointly maintained by the two countries, the ministry said.

It was inaugurated alongside the China-Laos Friendship Aviation Academy."Their construction and use are the result of mutual respect and equal consultation between China and Laos," the ministry said. "They are not directed against any third party and are conducive to further strengthening practical cooperation between the two militaries."The opening adds to the PLA’s small but growing network of overseas military facilities as China becomes more capable of projecting power beyond its borders. China opened its first official overseas military base in Djibouti in 2017, and then the China-Cambodia Joint Support and Training Center at Cambodia’s Port Ream in 2025. Both facilities have fueled concerns in Washington and other Western capitals about Beijing’s expanding global military presence.

The latest facility is in Ban Keun, about 40 miles (64 kilometers) north of Vientiane, the capital of landlocked Laos. The neighborhood is also home to a Cold War-era airfield known as Lima Site-44, which was used by the US for aviation and logistics operations. It wasn’t immediately clear whether the new center will be built upon the former airfield.

Laos, a Communist nation, has held close ties with China since the 1990s thanks to a shared ideology. China launched a rail line connecting the two nations in 2021, which has helped promote local economy and foster links.