In late September, China and Laos opened a Beijing-funded training and support center and an aviation academy at Ban Keun airport, about 50 kilometers north of Vientiane. China’s Ministry of National Defense says the facility will train Lao Air Force pilots and is “not directed against any third party.”

Cambodia and China recently agreed to fast-track four priority infrastructure projects under the Diamond Hexagon cooperation framework, deepening a partnership that already accounts for roughly 75% of Cambodia’s foreign direct investment.