Satellite images show attack jets stationed at a new Chinese military facility in Laos, which opened last week. The facility provides Beijing's air force with its first foothold in mainland south-east Asia.
Images from commercial satellite provider Vantor show eight light attack aircraft at Ban Keun airport, alongside what appear to be more than a dozen military vehicles. The planes' shape matches that of the Chinese-made Hongdu JL-8 jet, a two-seat trainer that can be deployed in combat.
China announced on 29 September that it had opened a joint "support and training centre" at Ban Keun. The airport, located about 30 miles (50km) north of Vientiane, the capital of Laos, has undergone significant expansion over the past year.
China's defence ministry stated that the new centre would "help Laos strengthen the training of its air force pilots" and was not "directed against any third party." The government of Laos has not commented on the project.