“Without political conditions” and other advantages, China is striving to dig its place in the arms market, by providing inducements to countries, especially in Africa and the Middle East, to import their weapons and gain more influence in the global arena.
In their commentary to Sky News Arabia, two experts in military and political affairs assess the advantages and disadvantages of China’s arms industry and trade compared to the arsenal of competitors in the United States, Russia and Europe, and how it turns its weaknesses into strengths.
A report issued by “South China” in late May monitored the latest indicators of Chinese arms exports this year, and stated:
- Countries in the Middle East and Africa have shown great interest in Chinese weapons.
- Contracts between China and countries in the Middle East will be executed by China North Industries Group Corporation, which is owned by China.
- Potential deals included the Sky Saker FX80 drone, CR500 helicopter, Cruise Dragon 5 aircraft and HQ short-range air defense system.
- According to Song Zhongping, a veteran instructor of the People’s Liberation Army, China is willing to sell high-tech weapons equipment to friendly countries without political conditions.
Military expert Jamal Al-Rifai compares China’s weapon with its competitors, telling Sky News Arabia:
- The strength and spread of American and Russian weapons compared to the Chinese can be measured by simply hearing the names of the famous types of weapons and the extent of the world’s confidence in them.
- Examples of this include the Kalashnikov, the most famous automatic weapon, and the MiG and Sukhoi, weapons known to 90% of the world’s population, and they come from Russia. Likewise, the competing weapon of Kalashnikov comes from the United States, which is the famous M-16, and the F, the most famous attack aircraft, and the most accurate air defense systems.
- It’s different in China. Over the course of 100 years, you cannot find a single Chinese weapon that has proven itself on the battlefield or gained fame among the global arsenal.
How much does China export?
In the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute report on the largest arms exporters in 2022, China ranked fourth with a rate of 5.2%, after the United States (40%), Russia (31%), and France (11%).