Presentation held by Paul Holtom at the International Security Forum (ISF) on 23 April 2013.

1. 13-04-25 Footer
Shining some light on
Chinese small arms
exports
Paul Holtom
23 April 2013

2.  China’s export control system: regulations,
procedures and policy
 Agencies responsible for controlling SALW exports
 Mapping Chinese SALW exports: scale and
destinations
 Reported UN arms embargo violations and
diversion risks
SIPRI study on Chinese SALW exports

3.  The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and Chinese
SALW exports
 Authorised arms export companies and Chinese
SALW exports
 European arms brokers and Chinese SALW exports
Highlighting ‘known’ actors

4.  Historical role of the PLA in Chinese small arms
exports
 Source of surplus, but still a supplier?
 PLA visits and exchanges with potential customers
 PLA training
 PLA presence at arms fairs
The PLA and Chinese SALW
exports

5.  Historical role of the state-owned defence
industrial import-export enterprises in Chinese
small arms exports
 Six import-export enterprises authorised to export
small arms and light weapons (including
MANPADS)
 The (in)significance of small arms exports for
China’s enterprises authorised to export small arms
Authorised arms export companies
and Chinese SALW exports

6.  China’s official position on arms brokers …
 … and the role played by European arms brokers in
the supply of SALW to African states
 Gus van Kouwenhoven: brokering the supply of SALW to Liberia
while subject to a UN arms embargo
 Gary Hyde: brokering the supply of SALW to Nigeria without
authorisation from the UK
 Serge Mueller: brokering the supply of SALW to Sierra Leone
without authorisation from Belgium or Switzerland
European arms brokers and
Chinese SALW exports

7.  It is assumed that China is a major SALW exporter,
but data remains patchy
 The relationship between the PLA, defence
industry and export companies and export control
authorities is opaque
 There are still a lot of unanswered questions about
the main actors involved in Chinese SALW exports

Concluding remarks