Why China doesn't purchase weapons from Asian countries

美國友邦

New Member
I know there is an EU embargos on China
The United States is unlikely to sell weapons to China.
However why doesn't China purchase weapons from its neighbours such as South Korea, Pakistan, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia..etc?
Many of these countries have good foreign relations with China.
One may argue that due to US pressure, allied countries would not afford the risk sell weapons to China due to US pressure.
However this is only an assumption, the problem is China never even asked.
Take Singapore as an Example, they have been exporting weapons to Iran, Burma for many years. The US did not intervene at all.
Take another country, Thailand which purchase arms from China, China could easily purchase weapons from the Thais in return for their cooperation. Pakistan is also close ally that China can rely on.
So why haven't the Chinese military considered to purchase weapons from these sources?
 
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rhino123

Pencil Pusher
VIP Professional
I know there is an EU embargos on China
The United States is unlikely to sell weapons to China.
However why doesn't China purchase weapons from its neighbours such as South Korea, Pakistan, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia..etc?
Many of these countries have good foreign relations with China.
One may argue that due to US pressure, allied countries would not afford the risk sell weapons to China due to US pressure.
However this is only an assumption, the problem is China never even asked.
Take Singapore as an Example, they have been exporting weapons to Iran, Burma for many years. The US did not intervene at all.
Take another country, Thailand which purchase arms from China, China could easily purchase weapons from the Thais in return for their cooperation. Pakistan is also close ally that China can rely on.
So why haven't the Chinese military considered to purchase weapons from these sources?


Sorry, I didn't know that Singapore export weapons to Iran. Singapore did export weapon to Burma, but I cannot imagine US from interventing with that.

And I think that China did not ask was because whatever Asian countries such as Singapore have, China can produce their own and much cheaper.

China's technology was not far behind at all.

Anyway that is only my thought, hope it did not offend anyone.

Best Regards.
 

SampanViking

The Capitalist
Staff member
Super Moderator
VIP Professional
Registered Member
Very few non Russian manufacturers of high tech/critical technologies seem to be independant these days and/or are so tied up with other contracts that they would be penalised if they supplied China.

Away from critical technologies, the PRC is unlikely to be able to source significantly better or cheaper than it can produce domestically.
 

Schumacher

Senior Member
Guess where South Korea, Pakistan, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia source most of their weapons tech. That's right, EU & US.
China has made a deliberate decision to be self-sufficient in defence so I think even if EU & US drop the embargo China will only want to buy small sample to study & use on their own tech.
I don't think many US or EU companies will like these kind of deals, small on $ but big in tech transfer, even with allied countries.
 

dh19440113

New Member
China purchase weapon from israel, rafael missile, Elta radar etc do that count?

Does the Thai's and singapore design high tech weapon systems for the air force or navy? Systems like radar, avionics, jet engines, missiles, carrier catepults or reactors. That's what pla need and thats what asian countries like thailand don't have. Japan does, but who wants to buy from them. (WW2 cough)
 

Skywatcher

Captain
There's not really much that the Asian countries can produce which China wants?

Land systems? China has plenty of those.
Aviation? What indigenous aviation industry?
Naval? Again, what ship building capacities can satisfy the PLAN's needs?

Subsystems and upgrades? Most of the Asian nations capable of doing so do that for western military equipment, which isn't compatible with Chinese stuff in general.
 

美國友邦

New Member
Sorry, I didn't know that Singapore export weapons to Iran. Singapore did export weapon to Burma, but I cannot imagine US from interventing with that.

And I think that China did not ask was because whatever Asian countries such as Singapore have, China can produce their own and much cheaper.

China's technology was not far behind at all.

Anyway that is only my thought, hope it did not offend anyone.

Best Regards.

Actually they did...

Singapore Firm Fined Over Attempted Missile Export to Iran

REUTERS, SINGAPORE


A Singapore-based cargo forwarding company has been fined $14,500 U.S. for trying to export missile parts to Iran without permission, the Straits Times reported Sept. 19, quoting Singapore Customs.
A Singapore Customs spokesman Victor Seah told the paper that the parts had arrived in Singapore from Switzerland and were being shipped to a destination in Iran.
The spokesman said that the company, World Freight Pte Ltd, had pleaded guilty.
The paper said officers of the Singapore customs intercepted a consignment of "controlled military electronic connectors," electronic parts meant for missiles. Under the Strategic Goods (Control) Act, companies must get specific permission when they export or trans-ship certain types of "strategic goods," the paper said.
This covers items that could potentially be used to develop weapons of mass destruction, conventional arms and military equipment, and items used for both military and civil purposes such as lasers, cameras and chemicals.

Some of the rest of Singapore's customers

Asia
Thailand:
In 1973, 30K M-16 rifles.
3 Prabrarapak class FACs
SAR-80s rifles.
Bofor 40mm L/70
CIS 40mm AGL
Ammunitions: small arms ammo, mortar rounds etc.

Philippines:
Ultimax100 SAW
CIS 40mmAGL
2 Blue Horizon UAV
Refurbishment of 20 UH-1Hs
Ammunitions: small arms ammo, mortar rounds etc.

Indonesia:
Ultimax100 SAW
CIS 40mmAGL
CIS 50HMG
1997 ,4 FH-88s
Upgraded AMX-13s to SM1 standard.

Cambodia:
Armbrust LAW

Myanmar:
Small arms, mortar & even small arms factory?
84mm rockets, Ultimax100 SAW?

Brunei:
3 Waspada class FACs

Papua New Guinea:
Ultimax100 SAW
SR-88

ROC:
Upgrade 6 F-5s to RF-5E.

Fiji:
Ultimax100 SAW( Seen in recent coup)

New Zealand:
Ammunitions: small arms ammo, mortar rounds etc.
Very Small Aperture Terminals(satellite communications system)

Australia:
Ammunitions: small arms ammo, mortar rounds etc.

Pakistan:
?

Sri Lanka:
?

India:
45m Inshore PVs
Spider LSVs

Kuwait:
43m & 49m Landing & supply crafts

United Arab Emirates
Possible sales of Spider LSV

Europe
Turkey:
Upgrade of 48 F-5s with Israeli’s Elbit
24+400 FH-2000 (Turkey renamed as Panter )
16+300 Firtina SPH based on Korean K9 SPH with a modified FH-2000 gun.
Possible sales of Terrex(Yavuz) & Bronco(Sakarya).

France:
Possible sales of Bronco as mortar carrier.

Finland:
Possible sales of Bronco.

Belgium:
Possible sales of Terrex.

Former Yugoslavia:
Ultimax100 SAW
SAR-80
Armbrust LAW

Africa
Zimbabwe:
?

There are lot of SAR-80 rifles in the black market of Africa, they are found in Somalia and Congo.

South America
Venezuela:
Upgrade of F-5s

Brazil:
Upgrade of 45~60 F-5s with Israeli’s Elbit

Chile:
Ultimax100 SAW(picture of Chilean soldier with it)

North America
USA:
With USN , came out with Spartan USV.
USN SEAL, Ultimax100 SAW
Overhaul of US Pacific Air force C-130
 
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D

Deleted member 675

Guest
China purchase weapon from israel, rafael missile, Elta radar etc do that count?

After past sales to China, Israel agreed to give the US an unofficial veto on future deals - China can't get anything from Israel that the US considers sensitive/too advanced.

Japan does, but who wants to buy from them.

If Japan didn't have such tight restrictions on exports I think a lot of countries would place orders with it, though as with South Korea in many areas it is reliant on US and European tech co-operation.
 

adeptitus

Captain
VIP Professional
I know there is an EU embargoes on China
The United States is unlikely to sell weapons to China.
However why doesn't China purchase weapons from its neighbors such as South Korea, Pakistan, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia..etc?

I think the PRC is in the "supply" side to its Asian neighbors and not the other way around. China makes a wide range of small arms and really doesn't need to import from Singapore.

China could benefit from importing some systems from S. Korea, but I doubt the sale and tech transfer would occur, because most of S. Korean systems contain licensed or imported technology from US or EU.

I'm sure most of us are familiar with the excellent S. Korean navy ships. But I also like their K2 MBT, XK21 IFV, and the new KNR rifle.


p.s. the EU arms embargo on China is interpreted as ban on "weapons and munitions" by some, and sales of other military related items continue. For example:

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Arms equipment worth 19m was exported to China, including components for military navigation equipment and naval radar, military aero-engines and "technology for the production of combat aircraft".
 

rhino123

Pencil Pusher
VIP Professional
Actually they did...

Singapore Firm Fined Over Attempted Missile Export to Iran

REUTERS, SINGAPORE


A Singapore-based cargo forwarding company has been fined $14,500 U.S. for trying to export missile parts to Iran without permission, the Straits Times reported Sept. 19, quoting Singapore Customs.
A Singapore Customs spokesman Victor Seah told the paper that the parts had arrived in Singapore from Switzerland and were being shipped to a destination in Iran.
The spokesman said that the company, World Freight Pte Ltd, had pleaded guilty.
The paper said officers of the Singapore customs intercepted a consignment of "controlled military electronic connectors," electronic parts meant for missiles. Under the Strategic Goods (Control) Act, companies must get specific permission when they export or trans-ship certain types of "strategic goods," the paper said.
This covers items that could potentially be used to develop weapons of mass destruction, conventional arms and military equipment, and items used for both military and civil purposes such as lasers, cameras and chemicals.

As seen here, US did intervene in the selling of weapon and the possible tech that came with the weapon to Iran. This would also be the same case with Singapore selling weapons to China because most of Singapore's technology came from US.:)
 
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