Why have China’s arms imports plummeted by 72% over the past 5 years?

Beijing’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, according to a Swedish think tank report. However, other countries in the region have increased in their overseas weapons purchases amid “fears over China’s intentions”. A report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) released on Monday said countries in Asia and Oceania imported 31 per cent of the world’s ar...

By Seong Hyeon Choi