Stockholm: China has bypassed Britain as the world`s fifth largest arms exporter, a Swedish think-tank said today.
The volume of Chinese weapons exports rose by 162 per cent 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 to 5 per cent from 2 per cent, and the country climbed to fifth from eighth in the rankings.
The largest buyer of Chinese weapons was Pakistan, which accounted for 55 per cent of the country`s exports, followed by Myanmar with 8 per cent and Bangladesh with 7 per cent, SIPRI said.
"China`s rise has been driven primarily by large-scale arms acquisitions by Pakistan," said Paul Holtom, director of the SIPRI Arms Transfers 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 per cent of the global volume.
Russia is second with 26 per cent, Germany third with 7 per cent, and France fourth with 6 per cent, SIPRI said.
China`s move into the top-five means Britain (now in sixth place) dropped off the list of the top five for the first time since at least 1950, the earliest year covered by SIPRI data.
The institute said Asia dominated the global imports of weapons, with the top five importers all located in that region.
Here`s SIPRI`s list of the top 5 arms exporters in 2008-2012 (share of international exports in parenthesis): 1. United States (30 per cent).
2. Russia (26).
3. Germany (7).
4. France (6).
5. China (5).
The top 5 arms importers in 2008-2012 (share of international imports in parenthesis):
1. India (12 per cent).
2. China (6).
3. Pakistan (5).
4. South Korea (5).
5. Singapore (4).
PTI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.