China Opens Joint Airbase in Laos and Extends Trade Probe

Chinese and Lao authorities announced Tuesday that a shared military installation has been inaugurated at an airstrip situated north of Vientiane, Laos’s capital. The development broadens China’s operational scope throughout the area and the South China Sea. Beijing continues to expand its sway in the Asia-Pacific, reinforcing its foothold, particularly in the contested South China Sea, through the construction of artificial islands and reefs equipped with runways, ports and radar facilities.

Laos and China officially inaugurated a new military training facility at Ban Keun airfield, located roughly 60 kilometers north of Vientiane, on Tuesday. The event was attended by Laos’s defense chief and a Chinese military delegation, as reported by the official Lao Army news service. This marks China’s third overseas military installation, according to the South China Morning Post. The center’s purpose is to enhance the skills of Laos Air Force pilots, China’s defense ministry confirmed in a statement.

The airfield sits near a former US logistics hub, known during the Vietnam War as Lima Site 44, which has since expanded onto nearby agricultural land.

Work on the Ban Keun facility began roughly a year ago and had reached significant progress by September, the South China Morning Post noted. While the main runway spans about 2,000 meters, analysts point out that current defenses remain limited. Laos operates fewer than 40 aircraft, mostly transport helicopters and basic trainers, with no advanced fighters. Historically, its pilot training has relied on foreign assistance, especially from China and Russia.

China probe into US trade barriers

In business news, China has extended two investigations into US trade barriers until December, CCTV, the state broadcaster, reported on Wednesday, delaying potential retaliatory measures by Beijing. The investigations into US practices that “disrupted global industrial and supply chains” and “obstructed trade in green products” were due to conclude on Sunday but will now run until December 27, CCTV said, citing China’s Ministry of Commerce.

Factory activity rises

Meanwhile, factory activity in China edged back to growth in September, according to official data released on Wednesday, after two months of contraction. The data emerged after Beijing announced a modest stimulus package to offset economic strains and low spending in the world's second-largest economy. The manufacturing purchasing managers' index (PMI), a closely watched gauge of industrial health, came in at 50.1 this month, just above the 50 mark separating expansion from contraction.

The data from the National Bureau of Statistics was an improvement of the 49.8 and 49.2 recorded in July and August, respectively. NBS statistician Huo Lihui said in a statement it showed “there has been recovery in economic (conditions)”. Huo noted that “three key industries show rapid expansion”, including equipment manufacturing, high-tech manufacturing and the consumer goods industries.