China becomes the third-world arms importer in 2014 after Saudi Arabia and India

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Defence & Security News - China
 
China becomes the third-world arms importer in 2014 after Saudi Arabia and India.
China is the world's third-largest arms importer in 2014 after Saudi Arabia and India, according to data provided by IHS Jane's 360 in the Global Defence Trade Report. China moved up to third from fifth a year earlier. "China continues to require military aerospace assistance from Russia and its total defense procurement budget will continue to rise very quickly," wrote Paul Burton, director of defense industry and budgets for Jane's.
     
China is the world's third-largest arms importer in 2014 after Saudi Arabia and India, according to data provided by IHS Jane's 360 in the Global Defence Trade Report. China moved up to third from fifth a year earlier. "China continues to require military aerospace assistance from Russia and its total defense procurement budget will continue to rise very quickly," wrote Paul Burton, director of defense industry and budgets for Jane's. According some military sources the Chinese-made HQ-9 air defense missile system uses technology of S-300 series air defense missile system imported from Russia.
     

China's premier, Li Keqiang, said China will raise military spending this year by 10.1% in his work report submitted to the annual meeting of the National People's Congress last week. This is the lowest spending increase for the PLA in five years. It is nonetheless an increase of about US$12 billion over last year's US$132 billion, according to the New Delhi-based Hindu Business Line.

China is also a primary reason why India has become one of the world's largest markets for foreign weapons systems.

China claims that its military spending aims mainly to improve working conditions for its armed forces and is lower than other large or developed countries as a proportion of GDP, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

Some military experts said the funneling of resources to the military is required for party chief Xi Jinping to keep the loyalty of his generals.

Saudi Arabia spent over US$6.4 billion in 2014 on arms, overtaking India, the world's biggest spender on arms in 2013, which spent US$5.57 billion last year.

In December 2014, it was reported that Russia was selling S-400 Triumf systems to China. Beijing intends to buy at least six divisions of the renowned missile systems worth more than three billion dollars.

According the Russian news agency website RT, the Chinese-made fifth-generation fighter jet J-31 will be equipped with gas-turbine jet engines developed and assembled by Russian companies.