China Is Quickly Becoming A Major Arms Exporter And Is Now The World’s Biggest Exporter Of Armed Drones

China supplied 153 armed drones to 13 countries in the past five years. Photo: Xinhua

SCMP: China sells arms to more countries and is world’s biggest exporter of armed drones, says Swedish think tank SIPRI

* But arms exports grew by just 2.7 per cent in 2014-18 from the previous five years, according to Stockholm International Peace Research Institute report
* China has expanded its customer base to 53 countries

China is selling arms to more countries and is now the world’s leading exporter of armed drones, according to a report released by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) on Monday.

But the latest data from the Swedish think tank shows Chinese arms exports increased by a relatively low 2.7 per cent in the period from 2014 to 2018, compared to the previous five years.

Weapons exports from the United States, however, jumped 29 per cent in the 2014-18 period from 2009-13.

Meanwhile, China expanded its customer base to 53 countries in 2014-18, up from 41 in the previous five years.

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WNU Editor: Here is an easy prediction. With time China will be a leading exporter of other weapons besides drones.

China Is Now The World's Third Largest Arms Exporter

(Bloomberg)

Wall Street Journal: China Overtakes Germany as World’s Third-Largest Arms Exporter

Report on global arms trade shows China’s share of export market more than doubled in past decade

China has overtaken Germany as the world’s third-largest arms exporter and cut its dependence on imports by producing more-sophisticated weapons, according to a new report.

State-owned defense suppliers, such as Norinco Group, have become prominent at arms fairs, opening new markets beyond established customers in South Asia by, for example, selling armed drones to Nigeria in its battle against Boko Haram rebels.

U.S. and allied military chiefs and lawmakers have expressed concern about China’s fast-growing military capabilities and territorial claims in the Pacific, but its role as an exporter has garnered less attention.

WNU Editor: The Sipri report on global arms sales is here.

More News On China Being The World's Third Largest Arms Exporter

Institute: China now world's third-biggest arms exporter -- AP
China displaces Germany as world's third largest arms exporter: report -- Reuters
China Becomes World’s Third-Largest Arms Exporter -- NYT
China becomes the world's third largest arms exporter -- BBC
Study: China has grown to world's third-biggest arms exporter -- Phys.org
China increases arms exports by 143% to place third behind US and Russia -- IBTimes
China Topples Germany in Arms Exports -- The Diplomat
China Edges Out Germany to Become the World’s Third Largest Arms Exporter -- Time
China arms exports surge 143% in 5 years -- Financial Times

China Is Now The World's Fastest Growing Major Arms Exporter

Members of the public wave Chinese and Hong Kong flags as the Chinese naval guided missile frigate Yuncheng (571) arrives at the Ngong Shuen Chau Naval Base in Hong Kong (Reuters)

The Politics of China’s Growing Arms Sales -- Robert Farley, The Diplomat

China is the fastest growing arms major arms exporter in the past decade

A recent article in the New York Times highlighted China’s rise as a major arms exporter. The mainstream discovery of China’s growing weight in the international arms trade won’t surprise many close observers (or many Diplomat readers), but it’s nevertheless worthwhile to study the trends in some detail.

According to SIPRI, China is the fastest growing arms major arms exporter in the past decade. Also, Chinese arms exports have moved beyond small arms and into heavier equipment, such as aircraft and warships.

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My Comment: I concur with this article's assessment that the probable Chinese business model for it's arms-export industries is to arm the world "at a discount".

China's Global Arms Industry Is Growing Exponentially

China’s Arms Industry Makes Global Inroads -- New York Times

BEIJING — From the moment Turkey announced plans two years ago to acquire a long-range missile defense system, the multibillion-dollar contract from a key NATO member appeared to be an American company’s to lose.

For years, Turkey’s military had relied on NATO-supplied Patriot missiles, built by the American companies Raytheon and Lockheed Martin, to defend its skies, and the system was fully compatible with the air-defense platforms operated by other members of the alliance.

There were other contenders for the deal, of course. Rival manufacturers in Russia and Europe made bids. Turkey rejected those — but not in favor of the American companies. Its selection last month of a little-known Chinese defense company, China Precision Machinery Export-Import Corp oration, stunned the military-industrial establishment in Washington and Brussels.

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My Comment: China is one of the world's leading manufacturers .... why not in arms.

China Continues To Supply Weapons To Hezbollah And Islamic Extremists

Seized Hezbollah weapons.

Israel Beware: China Arms Hezbollah -- Brett M. Decker and William C. Triplett II, The Washington Times

Beijing weapons proliferation benefits Iran and Islamic terrorist groups.

It doesn’t take a lot to exacerbate the broiling political crisis in the Middle East, and Beijing’s international arm sales pour fuel on the Muslim-Jewish fire. During the Second Lebanon War, a Chinese C-802 anti-ship missile struck Israel’s INS Hanit off the Lebanon coast. Four Israeli sailors were killed in the incident - Yoni Hershkovitz from Haifa, Shai Atias from Rishon Letzion, Tal Amgar from Ashdod and Dov Shtienshos from Carmiel. The oldest was 37, the youngest just 19. All of them had families.

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My Comment: And all of this is being done to make a quick buck.

China’s Re-emergence As An Arms Dealer: The Return Of The King?

From The Jamestown Foundation:

China is now, on average, the world’s fifth largest arms exporter, after the traditional leading suppliers: the United States, Russia, France, and the United Kingdom. In fact, in 2007 it was fourth in terms of global arms transfer agreements, ahead of France, Germany and Spain [1]. Nearly all of China’s arms transfers are to developing countries, and in this arena the Chinese defense industry is emerging as a formidable competitor. In fact, China ranked third in terms of arms deliveries to the developing world in 2007 [2]. China's largest markets are in Asia, the Middle East, and particularly Africa. In fact, during the period 2004-2007, China was the single largest seller of arms to Africa; and its major customers include Pakistan, Egypt, Bangladesh, Iran, Zimbabwe, and Zambia.

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My Comment: The Chinese always have a long term view and approach to everything .... military exports is no exception to this rule.