China becomes 5th largest arms exporter
2013-03-17 22:42
Stockholm - China has bypassed Britain as the world's fifth largest arms exporter, a Swedish think-tank report says.
The volume of Chinese weapons exports rose by 162% in the five years 2008-2012, compared to the previous five-year period, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute said in its report...that means China's share of all international arms exports increased from 2% to 5% and the country climbed to fifth from eighth in the rankings.
The largest buyer of Chinese weapons was Pakistan, which accounted for 55% of the country's exports, followed by Myanmar with 8% and Bangladesh with 7%, the report said.
"China's rise has been driven primarily by large-scale arms acquisitions by Pakistan," said Paul Holtom, director of the Sipri arms transfer programme.
"However, a number of recent deals indicate that China is establishing itself as a significant arms supplier to a growing number of important recipient states."
Such deals include the sale of three frigates to Algeria, eight transport aircraft to Venezuela and 54 tanks to Morocco, Sipri said.
The US remains the world's top arms exporter during the 2008-2012 period, with 30% of the global volume. Russia is second with 26%, Germany third with 7% and France fourth with 6%, said Sipri.
- AP
