Arming China: Major powers' arms transfers to the People's Republic of China. Issue 6 (19th September 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Meijer, Hugo; Béraud-Sudreau, Lucie; Holtom, Paul; Uttley, Matthew
• Is Part Of: Journal of strategic studies. Volume 41:Issue 6(2018)
• Page Start: 850
• Page End: 886
• Publication Date: 2018-09-19
• Subjects: Major powers -- China -- United States -- Britain -- France -- Russia -- arms transfers -- military modernisation; Strategy -- Periodicals; Military policy -- Periodicals; World politics -- Periodicals; 355.005
• DOI: 10.1080/01402390.2017.1288110
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0140-2390

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The rise of China has been fuelled by a massive military modernisation programme relying, in large part, on the acquisition of foreign military equipment. The question of how the world's major powers define their arms transfer policies towards China is therefore crucially important. This article makes two original contributions. First, drawing on neoclassical realism, it proposes an explanatory framework integrating international and domestic factors to explain variations in major powers' arms transfers. Second, based on a large body of elite interviews and diplomatic cables, it offers the first comprehensive comparison of American, British, French and Russian arms transfer policies towards China since the end of the Cold War.