China's arms imports plummeted by 72% over past 5 years

ISTANBUL

China’s arms imports have nose-dived by nearly three-quarters over the past five years, as it has replaced overseas weapons purchases with domestic technology, a Swedish think tank report released on Monday said.

However, other countries in the region have increased their overseas weapons purchases amid “fears over China’s intentions," the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said.

According to the report, countries in Asia and Oceania imported 31% of the world’s arms between 2021 and 2025, second only to Europe with 33%.

This was despite a 20% drop in volume compared with 2016–20. The fall was mainly due to decreasing arms imports by China (–72%) and, to a lesser extent, by South Korea (–54%) and Australia (–39%).

Four states in Asia and Oceania - India, Pakistan, Japan and Australia - ranked among the 10 largest arms importers globally in 2021–25.

The US remained the main supplier to the region in 2021–25, with 35% of regional arms imports.

Russia accounted for another 17% and China for 14%.

India was the world’s second-largest arms importer. Its imports decreased marginally (–4.0% ) between 2016–20 and 2021–25. The largest share of Indian arms imports came from Russia, at 40%.

Arms imports by Pakistan increased by 66% between 2016–20 and 2021–25.

Longtime ally China supplied 80% of Pakistan’s arms imports in 2021–25, up from 73% in 2016–20.

In East Asia, Japan (+76%) and Taiwan (+54%) logged large increases in their arms imports between 2016–20 and 2021–25.

China dropped out of the top 10 arms importers for the first time since 1991–95, due to expanded domestic production.

"Fears over China’s intentions and its growing military capabilities continue to influence armament efforts in other parts of Asia and Oceania, which often still depend on imported arms," said Siemon Wezeman, a senior researcher with the SIPRI Arms Transfers Program.

"For example, in South Asia, the high volume of arms that India imports is largely due to the perceived threat from China and to India’s long-running conflict with the main recipient of Chinese arms exports, Pakistan," he observed.

Imported weapons were used in four-day clashes between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan in May last year.