China: Arms Transfer Policies and Practices

The proliferation of conventional weapons is one of the most important items on the post-Cold War agenda, but the major arms exporters have distinctive mixes of policies and practices. China’s distinctiveness begins with the fact that, with the exception of Germany, in the past four years it appears to be the only major arms exporter not to see a decrease in both the percentage and volume of its transfers in a rapidly shrinking market. In 1992 China ranked third among exporters of major conventional arms to the developing world and fourth overall. ¹ China is also distinctive because, by virtue of its place in the heart of Asia, its indigenous arms production affects arms transfer policies of other states in East and South Asia. Thus China needs to be understood as an arms producer in the widest sense: both as exporter and as stimulus to the imports of its neighbours. Third, China is distinctive in that it is a developing country with a far less sophisticated arms industry than any of the other major suppliers. Chinese exporters have stressed the utility of cheaper and less sophisticated technology and this has meant that it is limited to certain kinds of markets. China is unique among major exporters in not being able to sell to most developed countries.