The People’s Republic of China’s (PRC) drive to buttress its military modernization through increased international arms sales has slowed, according to a report from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, with experts citing Chinese-made weapons systems’ lack of battlefield testing as a detriment.
The December 2024 report shows significant growth in total international arms sales driven by the wars in Ukraine and Gaza. Revenues earned by the world’s 100 largest defense companies grew by 4.2% to $632 billion in 2023.
But the growth for PRC companies was only 0.7%, the smallest since 2019.
The United States was the world’s largest arms exporter in 2023 with 41 U.S. companies in the top 100, earning $317 billion in arms revenue. Only nine of the top 100 enterprises were from the PRC, with total arms revenue of $103 billion, according to the survey.
The slowdown comes despite Beijing’s efforts to find overseas markets for its weapons to support its geopolitical objectives.
Analysts said Beijing faces a range of obstacles as it seeks to build a reputation as a major arms seller. Its close ties to Moscow and the fact that many of its systems have not been battle-tested are among the reasons the PRC’s weapons sales lag other countries.
For many countries, the PRC’s support for Russia in its unprovoked war against Ukraine is a key deterrent to purchasing Chinese arms.
Nations such as Poland, which consider Russia a primary threat, are unlikely to buy Chinese weaponry, opting instead for more reasonably priced South Korean alternatives, said Fenix Chiang, a senior military reporter for Taiwan’s China Times newspaper.
“Poland would never choose military weapons from China or those aligned with Russia, as they would offer little security,” Chiang said.
The PRC’s lack of after-sales support and its unwillingness to share critical technologies with buyers further weakens its position in the global arms market, said Wendell Minnick, a journalist covering military issues.
“They will sell you a fighter jet, but they don’t provide [a] very in-depth training opportunity for the country they sell them to,” Minnick said. “That’s a huge problem.”
By contrast, Washington provides training for Taiwan’s F-16 pilots in the U.S.
“They are getting face-to-face, boot-on-the-ground experience with real U.S. fighter pilots and training. China doesn’t really provide much in the way of training,” Minnick said.
Lack of maintenance and spare parts support is another problem for the PRC in promoting its weapons in the international market, he said.
“You just don’t deliver an advanced weapon system and then say thank you, so long, goodbye, good luck. You have to supply them with continued maintenance and upgrade and spare parts,” Minnick said. “You also have to provide manuals that are in the local languages, not in Chinese.”
Analysts said the biggest sales challenge for Chinese weapons systems is their lack of battlefield testing.
“In other words, from the perspective of buyers, the question is whether these weapons are truly reliable,” said Erich Shih, a Taiwan military expert.
