Analyst Advises Malaysia Against Viewing China's New Laos Military Facility as Immediate Threat
A foreign policy analyst, Thaha Albana Turmuzi, has advised Malaysia to refrain from automatically perceiving China's recently announced joint military support and training center in Laos as a threat. China confirmed this week that the facility, located approximately 50km north of Vientiane, is operational. It includes an airfield and an aviation academy, which China states will be used for training Laotian air force pilots. Turmuzi, a research officer at Bait Al Amanah, emphasized that there is currently insufficient information regarding the center and the extent of China's military presence. He suggested that Putrajaya should seek further details from Laos through diplomatic and ASEAN channels, particularly concerning the permanent stationing of Chinese troops and their access to the facility. The analyst stressed the importance of prioritizing transparency over publicly pressuring Laos regarding its relationship with China, viewing the arrangement as a sovereign bilateral matter between Laos and China ...
