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Prestige
It
is of no doubt that countries acquire sophisticated weapons systems to
demonstrate the ability to operate and maintain them which in terms
project an indicator of political and economic modernisation. To
possess a modern armed force is a important part of China’s search
for status in a post-cold war situation.
To China who has a quarter of the World’s population to be
technologically inferior is not something that they can be proud of.
Supply-side
pressure
The
end of the cold war had resulted in the general reduction of defence
spending and this has affected the sales of the arms manufacturers.
The Russians are evidently willingly to sell anything to any buyer who
can afford it, either with cash or barter trade, for example, the
selling of MiGs to Malaysia at much reduced prices. China’s
acquisition of modern weapons system is an opportunistic move to
exploit the availability of modern Russian weapons at attractive
prices. The preemption of possible international restraints on arms
transfer could have also prompted countries to conclude acquisition
deals as soon as possible while stocks lasts before any international
constraints are imposed. |