zhōng guó中国zài在lǎo wō老挝qǐ yòng启用xīn新de的xùn liàn训练zhōng xīn中心
China and Laos have opened a joint training center at Ban Keng Airport.
The airport is about 50 kilometers from Vientiane, the capital of Laos.
Satellite images show that there are eight Chinese-made training aircraft and more than 20 military vehicles at the airport, and the runway is being extended.
It can train Lao pilots and also make it easier for China to transport personnel and equipment.
Some experts believe that the airport currently has little practical military use and has greater political significance.
However, it may later become a place for aircraft stopovers, information gathering, and observing military training in neighboring countries.
If the runway becomes longer, large transport aircraft and other military aircraft may also be able to take off and land there.
Other experts worry that China’s military activities in Laos and Cambodia could affect security in Southeast Asia.
China has said that this is not a military base intended to target other countries. Its main purposes are to help Laos train pilots, strengthen military cooperation between the two countries, and carry out rescue, disaster prevention, and other work.