China replaced Britain in the list of the world's top five largest arms exporters, according to a report released by a respected Sweden-based think tank, Monday
According to a Stockholm International Peace Research Institute report that was released Monday, China replaced Britain as the fifth largest conventional arms exporters. According to the report, exports of arms in China increased by 162 percent between 2008 and 2012. This is a huge jump considering in the previous five years the share of the global arms trade in China rose from 2 percent to 5.
"China is establishing itself as a significant arms supplier to a growing number of important recipient states," Paul Holtom, director of the SIPRI Arms Transfers Programme, said in a statement.
The United States and Russia continue to head the list, accounting for 30 percent and 26 percent of weapons exports respectively, stated the report. Germany comes in at number three, accounting for 7 percent of the weapons export while France accounts for 6 percent making it number 4 on the list. This is the first time that China has made it to the list since the end of the Cold War. The country accounts for 5 percent of global weapons exports.
"This is a tale of China's rise," Paul Holtom, director of SIPRI's arms transfers program, said in a phone interview. "China is looking to move beyond developing countries for sales, such as deals in north Africa with Algeria and Morocco."
According to Paul, China's rise was primarily driven by "large-scale arms acquisitions by Pakistan." He added that some "recent deals indicate that China is establishing itself as a significant arms supplier to a growing number of important recipient states."
