The Chinese Foreign Ministry has responded to the latest SIPRI Policy Paper which details China’s exports of small arms and light weapons (SALW).
At a press conference on 5 November, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hong Lei fielded a question about the report:
A: The Chinese Government has all along taken a prudent and responsible attitude in its export of military products including light and small arms and exercised strict controls on such exports in accordance with China's international obligations and domestic laws. China observes the principles of not harming international and regional peace and stability and not interfering in the internal affairs of the recipient countries. China does not transfer weapons to non-state entities and requires the recipient countries to provide certificates of end users and the purposes of the arms. China is ready to make joint efforts with the international community to eliminate the hazard of illegal trade in light and small arms at an early date.
The spokesperson’s comments reflect the findings of the SIPRI report that, while there is a general lack of transparency, China does have systems in place to control its exports of small arms and lights weapons, and there is no evidence that the SALW found in conflict zones were delivered directly from China.
China's Exports of Small Arms and Light Weapons (SIPRI Policy Paper No. 38), authored by Mark Bromley, Mathieu Duchâtel and Paul Holtom, is the first report to comprehensively map Chinese policies and practices for controlling SALW transfers.
The authors use their expertise in arms transfers and Chinese foreign policy to describe China's involvement in multilateral SALW control initiatives, detail its administrative system for granting export licences and map the destinations of Chinese SALW exports.