New SIPRI data on arms transfers: China replaces UK as world’s fifth largest arms exporter

China has become the fifth largest exporter of major conventional arms worldwide, according to new data on international arms transfers published today by SIPRI.

This is the first time China has been in the top five arms exporters since the end of the cold war. Overall, the volume of international transfers of major conventional weapons grew by 17 per cent between 2003–2007 and 2008–12.

Read the press release in English (online) and Catalan, French, Spanish and Swedish(PDF).