China-Laos joint support and training center opens at Ban Keun airport; aviation academy begins operations

The China-Laos joint support and training center opened at Ban Keun Airport in Vientiane Province in Laos on Tuesday, and the China-Laos friendship aviation academy officially began operations, China's Ministry of National Defense announced. An expert said the center could help Laos build a systematic talent training system for pilots, ground crew and flight personnel, reducing its reliance on overseas training. According to the Chinese Ministry of Defense, the center is aimed at helping Laos strengthen the training of air force pilots. The center is jointly operated by both sides. Its construction and use reflect mutual respect and equal consultation between China and Laos, comply with both countries' domestic laws, relevant international law and international practice, do not target any third party, and are conducive to closer practical military cooperation and regional peace and stability. Song Zhongping, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Tuesday that Laos has a relatively small air force and has long lacked a systematic training system for pilots, maintenance crew and flight personnel. The center could systematically train pilots and ground support personnel, enabling independent talent cultivation rather than full reliance on overseas training. It could come with support facilities, simulators and equipment to support flight training and equipment maintenance drills, improving Laos' domestic aviation support capabilities, Song said. At the military cooperation level, Song said, the center deepens practical exchanges between the two militaries, upgrading from simple equipment assistance to long-term integrated cooperation in talent training, joint exercises and equipment support. It also might help maintain stability in the Indochina Peninsula and Mekong River region, with both sides able to conduct joint search and rescue, border control and disaster relief aviation drills under the framework, Song said. Song said that not long ago, China and Cambodia also opened a similar training and support center. The Cambodia-China Joint Support and Training Center at Port Ream went into operation in April 2025, according to the Xinhua News Agency. At the ceremony at the time, the Chinese and Cambodian sides emphasized that the construction and operation of the center were the result of mutual respect and equal consultation between China and Cambodia, which is conducive to further strengthening the practical cooperation between the two militaries, better fulfilling international obligations and providing international public security products, Xinhua reported. In conjunction with the inauguration ceremony, the Chinese and Cambodian militaries organized the launch of the "Golden Dragon 2025" joint exercise at the center, and arranged for the vessels of both sides to carry out training in subjects such as formation maneuvers, maritime communications, and equipment exercises, Xinhua reported. At a regular press briefing on April 9, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang responded to a question regarding the recent arrival of the first Type 056 corvette China provided to Cambodia at the Ream Naval Base, with reports suggesting that amid regional tensions, countries such as Thailand are closely watching maritime security developments. The Chinese spokesperson said that this is part of an existing cooperation program between the Chinese and Cambodian militaries, which is not directed at any third party. Song noted that the new Ban Keun center in Laos is an inland aviation training center for air force personnel, while the support and training center at Port Ream in Cambodia is a coastal naval support center serving maritime operations. Together, they cover inland airspace in the Indochina Peninsula and the maritime direction in the Gulf of Thailand. The expert empathized that these centers belong entirely to Laos and Cambodia. They are jointly operated, with no independent Chinese garrison or exclusive use rights. They are defensive cooperation efforts not targeting any third party. Their core goal is to help host countries build their own defense capabilities and conduct non-traditional security drills. The concept behind the new support and training center is also similar to China's base in Djibouti, where training supports Chinese peacekeeping troops heading to Africa and serves naval personnel in the Gulf of Aden, Song added. Ships carrying Chinese military personnel departed Zhanjiang in South China's Guangdong Province on July 11, 2017 to set up a support base in Djibouti. The establishment of the PLA Djibouti base was a decision made by the two countries after friendly negotiations and accords with the common interests of both peoples, according to the PLA Navy.