China opens rare joint military support centre in Laos

By Josh Smith

Sept ‌29 (Reuters) - China ​has ​opened a new military support and training centre in Laos, Beijing's Ministry of National ‌Defence said on Tuesday, a rare overseas expansion.

• ⁠The China-Laos Joint Support and Training Center and the ‌China-Laos Friendship Aviation Academy are ‌now operational at an airport in Ban Keun, the ministry said in a statement.

• "The two institutions, ​jointly maintained and operated by both sides, aim to help Laos strengthen the training of ⁠its air force pilots," the statement said.

• The ministry offered no ​details of what personnel, equipment or facilities would be based at the airport.

• The Laos ​embassy in Bangkok did not ‌respond to a request for comment about the new facility.

• China operates another ⁠joint training and support centre at Cambodia's Ream naval base on the Gulf of Thailand, and a logistics ⁠base in Djibouti.

• Cambodia has denied that Chinese troops are ​stationed at Ream, but the United States has raised concerns about an expanded Chinese presence.

• In Tuesday's statement, China's Ministry ‌of National Defence said the Laos operations are "not directed against any third party and ‌aim to help further deepen practical cooperation between ⁠the two militaries and ‌contribute to maintaining ​peace and stability in the region."

(Reporting by Josh Smith in Bangkok; Editing by Andrew ‌Cawthorne)

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