China cemented its place as Pakistan’s largest supplier of major weapons, including fighter planes, warships, submarines and missiles, between 2017 and 2021. This has been revealed by Sweden’s Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), an independent organization focused on arms transfers and conflict. Between 2017 and 2021, Beijing met 72% of Islamabad’s major arms demand. In contrast 47% of all major arms exported by China were given to Pakistan during this period.
Pakistan imported 67 per cent of its weapons from China in 2012-16, up from just 39 per cent in 2007-11.
SIPRI’s analysis also revealed that several deals between the two countries have been labeled “joint production” or “joint programmes”. Top arms deals between the two countries include the continued supply of JF-17 fighter jets, including the delivery of an “improved” Block-3 version starting this year. This is revealed by data compiled under SIPRI’s “Trends in International Arms Transfer, 2021”.
Simon Weisman, a senior researcher in SIPRI’s Arms Transfer Program, said, “Deliveries of the first batch of J-10 fighters began earlier this year, marking the first export of this aircraft by China. It is more advanced than the JF-17.”
“China isn’t just supplying fighter jets,” Weizmann said. It is also sending various types of guided bombs and air-to-surface missiles as well as advanced long-range air-to-air missiles with fighter jets. And there has been an increase in speed.
After China, Pakistan bought most of its major arms from Sweden (6.4%) and Russia (5.6%) between 2017-21. Other buyers of weapons include Bangladesh (16%) and Thailand (5%).
A Chinese expert said that it is the right of Pakistan to buy arms from any country. Long Jingchun, head of the Chengdu Institute of World Affairs, said, “Pakistan as a sovereign country can buy weapons from any country including China or the US. Similarly, India can buy weapons from anyone, like it is buying from Russia, America or France.
Former Director General of Military Operations Lt Gen Vinod Bhatia (Retd) said that Pakistan’s dependence on Chinese military hardware is well known and has increased rapidly over the years. “Pakistan’s dependence on Chinese weapons and systems is such that it has become a client state of China. The Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) takes advantage of this influence and exercises indirect control over the Pakistan Army which controls the country.”