China will soon replace Russia as one of the world's top three arms exporting countries while increasing its weapons exports to the rest of the world outside Asia. China exports more weapons to more countries (53) than any arms exporter and is the world's leading exporter of armed aerial drones.
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), the Sweden-based institute dedicated to research into conflict, armaments, arms control and disarmament, reported that China has become one of the world's largest arms exporters. China ranks fifth in the list that includes the United States, Russia, France, and Germany in that order. These five countries accounted for some 75 percent of the total volume of arms exported since 2014.
SIPRI has exported 16.2 billion units of ammunition (bullets, rockets, artillery shells, missiles) over the past 12 years, according to CNBC.
Pakistan has been the top buyer of Chinese arms since 2007. It bought 6.57 billion units of ammunition over the past 11 years. Bangladesh came in second with purchases of 1.99 billion units while Myanmar bought 1.28 billion units. All these countries share a border with China and are members of China's Belt and Road Initiative.
Sales to these three countries rose to new heights in 2018. Pakistan bought 448 million units;
Myanmar 105 million units and Bangladesh, 75 million units, said SIPRI.
The "loose restrictions" in the developing world makes China "well-positioned to become one of the world's largest arms exporters," according to Timothy Heath, senior international defense researcher at the RAND Corporation, a leading U.S. defense think-tank.
Heath also argues Russia's once-formidable arms industry is in decline due to the failing Russian economy and the painful economic sanctions imposed by the West.
"As Chinese weapons and equipment improve in quality and Russia's defense industry continues to atrophy, Chinese manufacturers will likely displace Russian defense industries in many key markets."
Chinese arms exports have risen while Russian exports have fallen over the last five years.
Another reason for the popularity of Chinese weapons is their very low price compared to American and European arms.
China is positioned as the lower-cost alternative for advanced weapon systems, and the main competitor to Russian hardware, said Roy Kamphausen, president of Seattle-based non-profit research institution, The National Bureau of Asian Research (NBR).
China also has a "no strings attached" arms sales policy similar to Russia's. This intense competition for dollars is adding friction to the otherwise smooth relationship between Moscow and Beijing.
