New facilities in Laos and Cambodia: Is China expanding its military presence in Southeast Asia?
China has been growing its economic relationships in Southeast Asia. Now new military facilities in Laos and Cambodia are causing smaller countries to worry China's military networks are also expanding.
In recent years, China has been steadily increasing its influence in Southeast Asia, extending beyond economic and infrastructure projects to include military cooperation. A recent example of this is the opening of a joint military support and training center in Laos early in November, with pilots from the Laotian air force set to receive training at the Ban Keun airfield. This facility was opened at the end of September, and China has stated that it will be used for air force training and logistics.
China's expansion in Southeast Asia is not limited to Laos; in 2025, China also expanded its footprint at Cambodia's Ream naval base, using the facility for logistics and training. While other navies, such as Japanese and Vietnamese ships, can visit the port, it remains unclear if they can utilize the same facilities as China under the same conditions.
Marco Bünte, a professor of Asian politics at the University Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany, notes that the new facility in Laos is another step towards deepening cooperation between China and Laos, potentially expanding China's strategic depth in mainland Southeast Asia and improving its military access to the South China Sea.
The aviation media outlet FlightGlobal reports that China currently operates four two-seat intermediate jet trainers and light attack aircrafts at the Laotian airbase. Satellite images from early October show eight K-8s at the base, though this does not necessarily indicate permanent stationing. Johann Fuhrmann, head of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation's Beijing office, emphasizes that it is crucial to distinguish between training Laotian pilots and any potential future use of the facilities by Chinese armed forces.
China gains influence through co-designing the training and operation of such facilities over several years, but China has not achieved military hegemony in the region.
Surrounding countries are reacting differently to China's growing influence in Laos, Cambodia, and Myanmar due to existing close military partnerships with China. Vietnam and the Philippines, which have territorial disputes with China in the South China Sea, are closely watching developments. Vietnam, however, has declared that any military cooperation must serve peace and stability, referring to the ASEAN Treaty.
China maintains that its activities are not directed against any third parties. Bünte advises Western nations to help strengthen the smaller countries in the region, offering tangible contributions rather than warnings or lectures from Europe.
Written by urgent.news from DW News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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