The Shield of Friendship 2023 war games brought together 200 Chinese soldiers and 700 Lao soldiers for three weeks near the Lao capital Vientiane for joint military exercises. The drills between the two communist states gave troops from impoverished, landlocked Laos first-hand experience using modern Chinese weapons, paving the way for the Southeast Asian country to replace its Russian and US military supplies. it was soviet Neighboring Vietnam, Laos’ biggest traditional ally, is believed to be warily watching the China-Laos relationship, while the United States is also concerned about China’s growing military influence.