In their commentary to Sky News Arabia, two military and political affairs experts weigh the pros and cons of China’s arms industry and trade against the arsenal of competitors in the United States, Russia and Europe, and how they turn their weaknesses into strengths.
Weapons en route to the area
A report released by “South China” in late May tracked the latest indicators of Chinese arms exports this year and said: Countries in the Middle East and Africa have shown great interest in Chinese weapons. Contracts between China and countries in the Middle East will be executed by China North Industries Group Corporation, which is owned by China. Potential deals included the Sky Saker FX80 drone, CR500 helicopter, Cruise Dragon 5 aircraft and HQ short-range air defense system. According to Song Zhongping, a veteran instructor with the People’s Liberation Army, China is willing to sell high-tech weapon equipment to friendly countries without political conditions.
What are the experts saying?
Military expert Jamal Al-Rifai compares the Chinese weapon to its competitors, telling Sky News Arabia: The strength and spread of American and Russian weapons compared to Chinese weapons can be gauged by simply hearing the names of famous weapon types and the extent of the world’s confidence in them. Examples include the Kalashnikov, the most famous automatic weapon, and the MiG and Sukhoi, weapons known to 90% of the world’s population, which come from Russia. Similarly, the Kalashnikov’s competing weapon comes from the United States, which is the famous M-16 and the F, the most famous attack aircraft and the most accurate air defense systems. It’s different in China. Over 100 years, you cannot find a single Chinese weapon that has proven itself on the battlefield or won fame among the world’s arsenal. The Chinese weapon is not experienced in battles, like the American and Russian weapons, which have undergone development processes based on the conditions they have faced on the battlefield, unlike the Chinese weapon, which has long been removed from the fields of war.
China’s strengths
Despite the above, Al-Rifai points out that Chinese arms exports to the Middle East can be an alternative to US arms for countries that believe Washington needs to “cut political and economic interests in exchange for arms “.
China affairs expert Mazen Hassan agrees with Al-Rifai that Chinese weapons cannot make up for this Russian and American period. Cheap Chinese weapons are easy to acquire for poor countries. The biggest advantage is that China does not impose conditions on countries that import its weapons. At the same time, China is seeking to improve its armaments. Countries that import Chinese weapons know that they cannot be completely relied upon, rather a risk, but they see additional value in weapons from Russia, the United States and Europe.
At the same time, Hassan notes that the announced agreements between China and importers are “very limited” compared to the agreements reached by Middle Eastern countries with the United States and Russia, and China “is aware that ‘It will not be a pioneer in the export of arms, and does not expect much from its military industry. “.
How much does China export?
In the report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute on the largest arms exporters in 2022, China ranks fourth with a rate of 5.2%, after the United States (40% ), Russia (31%) and France (11%).
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