Unfolded arms: Beijing’s recent military sales offensive

A much smaller arms supplier than the two superpowers, the People’s Republic of China has attracted much greater international attention, and reproach, in 1987 and the first few months of 1988. These reactions have been triggered not exactly by an unprecedented increase in the quantity of arms delivered, as much as by their unprecedented quality and, consequently, by their impact. Underestimated for all but the last year or two, China’s arms transfer programme was modestly launched in 1979 following decisions reached at the eventful Third Plenum of the 11th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party, held in December 1978.