Over the past few decades, China has consistently given top priority to modernizing its armed forces and achieving self-reliance. The country is now the second largest military spender in the world. Between 2019 and 2023, China reduced its arms imports by 44 percent compared to the previous five years. It has also become one of the top five arms exporters. According to the Stockholm Peace Research Institute, China’s arms sales have increased significantly, especially in the Asia-Oceania region, which accounts for over 80 percent of the region’s total arms trade.
Most of China’s arms exports go to its Asian neighbors, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar, which together have accounted for more than 63 percent of China’s conventional arms sales since 2010. Pakistan, in particular, has been the main buyer of Chinese military equipment and technology since 1991, receiving 38 percent of China’s total arms exports between 2016 and 2022. Recently, Chinese arms sales have also increased to numerous African countries, which accounted for about 19 percent of total Chinese exports between 2010 and 2020. In addition, the West Asia region has seen an increase in Chinese arms trade, as well as economic and infrastructure investments, driven by efforts by many West Asian countries to reduce their dependence on the United States.
China’s rise in the global arms trade has been fueled by the economic and geostrategic needs of recipient countries. The competitive prices of Chinese weapons and technologies are particularly attractive to developing countries looking for affordable prices. In addition, the growth of Chinese arms exports is in line with the expansion of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a global infrastructure development project that reflects China’s strategic ambitions.
However, these attractive defense deals with China also have hidden drawbacks that are causing many countries to rethink their choices. Statistics from SIPRI show that Chinese arms exports fell by 7.8 percent from 2016 to 2020 compared to the previous five years. This was not only due to Covid-19, but there were also several other factors that contributed to this significant decline. Chinese arms exports, which are technologically inferior and have lower certification standards than their Western counterparts, impose significant after-sales costs on buyers.
Countries that buy Chinese weapons often struggle with technological incompatibilities because they lack the necessary personnel and expertise to operate, repair or maintain the equipment. In many cases, the high maintenance and repair costs that China demands undermine the initial appeal of lower prices. In addition, the fact that Chinese weapons have not yet been combat-tested raises doubts about their usefulness, effectiveness and reliability.
Chinese weapons in Pakistan
Numerous examples show the pitfalls of importing military equipment from China. For example, Pakistan, a frequent buyer of Chinese weapons, had serious problems with the F-22P frigates it ordered from China in 2005. These warships were equipped with substandard engines and their anti-aircraft missile systems had defective image sensors and radar, rendering them ineffective. When China refused to repair the frigates, Pakistan had to ask Turkey for help. Similarly, Pakistan had to decommission Chinese unmanned aerial systems (UAS) combat drones shortly after they were put into service because they had significant defects, including unusable spare parts and the incompetence of the Chinese engineers who were supposed to operate them.
Chinese defense equipment in Bangladesh
Bangladesh, another major recipient of Chinese defense equipment, had problems with outdated Ming-class Type 035G submarines that were so technologically deficient that they had to be declared unserviceable for an extended period of time. In 2020, Chinese-made Type 053H3 frigates arrived in Bangladesh with several defects, including faulty navigation radar and weapon systems. In addition, the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) had technical problems with Chinese-made F-7 fighter jets and K-8W light attack aircraft, the latter of which did not fire ammunition properly. The BAF also had to return Chinese-made Y12 and MA60 transport aircraft due to various problems.
Chinese weapons malfunctions around the world
When Myanmar acquired the JF-17 fighter jets jointly produced by China and Pakistan, it was disappointed to find that most were not operational due to significant technical defects. In 2019, Jordan attempted to resell six Chinese-made CH-4B “Pterosaur” unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) after expressing dissatisfaction with their performance. Nigeria’s purchase of 15 Chengdu F-7 fighter jets from China resulted in significant losses: 5-6 aircraft were lost in accidents and 7 had to be returned to China for maintenance due to operational problems, leaving only 2 in service. Sudan also faced problems with poorly equipped weapons when a crash of a Chinese-Pakistan-produced K-8 Karakorum light attack aircraft killed two pilots in September 2021. In addition, Kenyan security forces questioned the reliability of Norinco VN-4 armoured personnel carriers purchased from China, as many Kenyan soldiers were killed in terrorist attacks while using them.
The above examples highlight the significant costs of prioritizing economic and strategic considerations over quality when purchasing military equipment. These case studies not only increase the financial burden on buyers, but also demonstrate that unreliable defense equipment undermines military capabilities and readiness and puts national security at risk. The loss of life due to untested and substandard Chinese equipment underscores the need for rigorous quality controls and third-party verification mechanisms to be implemented by anyone interested in “cheap” Chinese defense equipment.
It is crucial for countries to diversify their sources of military equipment rather than relying heavily on a single supplier. Weapons manufactured by the US and other Western countries are of excellent quality and are tested to standards jointly set by NATO countries. Developing countries can adopt this framework to form alliances and jointly strengthen their defence strategies, thus avoiding exploitation and deception by any single country.
The author is an author and columnist and has written several books. His X-handle is @ArunAnandLive. The views expressed in the above article are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of News18.
