STOCKHOLM: Pakistan was among the largest major arms importers in Asia and Oceania from 2016-2020, according to a report published by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) today (Monday).
According to the report, Asia and Oceania was the largest importing region for major arms, receiving 42 percent of global arms transfers in 2016–20. “India, Australia, China, South Korea and Pakistan were the biggest importers in the region,” it added.
“For many states in Asia and Oceania, a growing perception of China as a threat is the main driver for arms imports,” said Siemon T. Wezeman, Senior Researcher at SIPRI. “More large imports are planned, and several states in the region are also aiming to produce their own major arm,” he added.
The SIPRI, in its report, said international deliveries of arms were flat in the period 2016-2020, ending more than a decade of increases. “It was the first time since 2001–2005 that the volume of deliveries of major arms between countries did not increase from the previous five-year period,” it added.
The United States, France and Germany — three of the world’s biggest exporters — increased deliveries but falls in exports from Russian and China offset the rise, SIPRI added.
Meanwhile, arms imports by India decreased by 33 percent between 2011–15 and 2016–20. India’s imports of US arms also fell, by 46 percent. Exports by China, the world’s fifth-largest arms exporter in 2016–20, decreased by 7.8 percent between 2011–20115 and 2016–2020.
Chinese arms exports accounted for 5.2 percent of total arms exports in 2016–2020. Pakistan, Bangladesh and Algeria were the largest recipients of Chinese arms.
The Middle East was the fastest-growing market for arms, importing 25% more in 2016-20 compared to the previous five-year period. The biggest increases came from Saudi Arabia (61%), Egypt (136%) and Qatar (361%).
“While the pandemic has shut down economies across the world and pushed many countries into deep recessions, it was too early to tell whether the slowdown in arms deliveries was likely to continue,” it added.
