China becomes world’s 3rd largest arms exporter

BEIJING - A new study from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute has concluded that China has overtaken Germany to become the world’s third-largest arms exporter, yet its 5% share remains small compared to the combined 58% from the US and Russia.

According to the report, the volume of the multi-billion dollar world arms trade rose by 16% during the period from 2010 to 2014 over the previous five years. China’s share of the global arms market rose 143% from 2010 to 2014, showing the growing strength of China’s domestic arms industry – which now produces fourth-generation fighter jets, navy frigates and a wide-range of relatively cheap, simple and reliable smaller weapons.

Three Asian countries accounted for more than two-thirds of Chinese exports, with Pakistan buying 41% of the total, followed by Bangladesh and Myanmar. China also has 18 client nations in Africa. www.webershandwick.cn (ATI).