*WASHINGTON / ISLAMABAD* – China has become the dominant supplier ofweapons to Pakistan, Bangladesh and Myanmar, according to the latest reportby the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
Titled “Trends in International Arms Transfer, 2017” the report reflects onthe major change in the geopolitical sphere of South Asia. Weapons sales toPakistan by the United States have dropped by 76 per cent in the past fiveyears, according to the report.
China has become the biggest supplier of arms to India’s archrivalneighbour, providing 35 per cent of its arms to Pakistan from 2013 to 2017,reported *Voice of Americalink>*.link>
According to the report, the United States, Russia, Germany, France, andChina are currently exporting 74 per cent of the weapons around the globe,which makes them the largest arms exporters globally.
The report said the United States was once the largest exporter of weaponsto Pakistan. But recent tensions between the two countries havesignificantly affected arms sales, particularly from 2013 to 2017, whenthere has been a large decrease in arms transfers from the US to Pakistan.
Relations between the US and Pakistan deteriorated after a November 2011incident in which 26 Pakistani troops were killed in NATO attacks on twomilitary checkpoints. Pakistan retaliated by closing both of its bordersinto Afghanistan, effectively suspending NATO supply convoys through thecountry to its land-locked neighbour.
The Trump administration has accused Pakistan of supporting militant groupsthat launch attacks across the border into Afghanistan, accusations thatPakistan denies.
Pakistani officials say geopolitics demand that the country should not berelying on the US only when it comes to security needs.
Talking to *VOA*, Pakistani professor Zafar Jaspal said Pakistan wants tobe self-sufficient in making small weapons, and that’s the country’sforemost effort.
“Pakistan’s reliance on just one country has not been a fruitfulexperience,” Jaspal said. “Therefore, the shift in the foreign policy nowdemands that the weapon import of Pakistan should be multinational.”
The SIPRI report said China provides 70 per cent of weapons to Pakistan.The US is the second-largest arms supplier with 12 per cent, while Russiais third with 5.7 per cent.
Jaspal said Pakistan is not only importing weapons from China, but the twocountries are exchanging technology, as well.