The volume of global arms exports and imports has changed significantly in recent times. The US still leads the world in terms of exports, Ukraine has become the world's largest arms importer, while China is making efforts to localize and reduce its dependence on foreign goods.
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| China increases its own weapons production, reducing its dependence on imports. (Source: SCMP) |
China reduces dependence
According to SCMP on March 10, a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) showed that high-tech weapons developed by China are replacing imported weapons in a number of areas.
The Northeast Asian nation’s arms imports have fallen by nearly two-thirds over the past five years as purchases have increasingly been replaced by domestic products. Specifically, Beijing’s arms imports fell by 64% between 2020 and 2024, compared to the previous five-year period.
The reason for this change is China's push to boost its domestic arms industry with locally designed and manufactured systems, replacing equipment previously purchased mainly from Russia.
According to Siemon Wezeman, senior researcher at SIPRI, it has taken Beijing 30 years to successively replace imported high-tech weapons with domestic technologies.
Over the past five years, China’s biggest imports from Russia have been helicopters and fighter jet engines. However, the world’s second-largest economy has made many breakthroughs in this field.
China now produces its own engines for fighter jets, transport aircraft and warships. In addition, the country has developed its own helicopters and is gradually stopping importing helicopters from Russia and even Europe.
China's decline in arms imports also contributed to an overall 21% drop in arms shipments to countries in Asia and Oceania.
According to the SIPRI report, arms imports to East Asia fell by 22%. Japan was the only country in the region to increase imports, with a 93% increase.
China also dropped out of the top 10 largest arms importers for the first time since 1990-1994.
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| Ukraine has become the world's largest recipient of weapons, most of which come from the US. (Source: AA) |
Europe doubles demand
Due to the impact of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Europe has doubled its arms imports, with an overall increase of 155% between 2020 and 2024. Ukraine is also the only European country in the top 10 largest arms importers.
The Eastern European country has become the world’s largest recipient of arms, accounting for 8.8% of global arms exports. At least 35 countries sent weapons to Ukraine when the conflict broke out in 2022, with more deliveries still underway. Most of the weapons came from the United States (45%), followed by Germany (12%) and Poland (11%).
European members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) saw a 105% increase in arms imports between 2020 and 2024 (double the previous five-year period), with 64% of the weapons coming from the United States.
Other major arms suppliers to NATO members are France, South Korea, Germany and Israel.
The increase in arms imports among the military alliance member states is due to the reaction to the Russia-Ukraine conflict as well as uncertainty about Washington's foreign policy during President Donald Trump's second term, the report said.
Priority selection
China is the world's fourth-largest arms exporter, but its arms exports fell by 5.4% compared to 2015-2019, and its share of global arms sales fell from 6.2% to 5.9%.
Despite Beijing's efforts to increase arms exports, major markets such as India, Japan and the Middle East have been reluctant to approach Chinese suppliers, fearing the potential impact on their relations with the United States and other Western countries.
Expert Wezeman commented: "Many countries buy weapons, not only for the weapons but also for the relationship with the supplier - the alliance relationship."
For example, in the Middle East, arms deals between regional countries and suppliers will strengthen their relationships with the West and seek support in case of need.
The SIPRI report noted that the US continues to top the list of the world's largest arms suppliers, with an increase of 21%, raising its global arms export market share to 43%.
Europe has overtaken the Middle East to become the largest US customer by region for the first time in two decades, accounting for 35% of the world's No. 1 economy's arms exports. However, Saudi Arabia is the largest recipient of weapons with a 12% market share.
In contrast, Russia's military arms exports fell by 64%. Accordingly, its global market share dropped sharply from 21% in the 2015-2019 period to just 7.8% in the following period, putting the country in third place after France - the world's second largest arms exporter with a market share of 9.6%.
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/ban-do-vu-khi-toan-cau-quan-quan-khong-doi-xuat-hien-nhan-to-muon-dinh-hinh-cuoc-choi-307157.html
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