Surging global weapons transfers are raising concerns about arms races in tension-fraught areas of the globe, a leading peace research group warned Monday.
New data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute showed that transfers of major conventional weapons rose by 22 percent in 2005-2009, compared to the previous five-year period.
The U.S. remains the biggest arms supplier, accounting for 30 percent of weapons exports, while China and India are the biggest importers of conventional weapons, SIPRI said. It added that Singapore and Algeria both made the top-10 list of major weapons importers for the first time.
SIPRI also said that Iran was the second-largest customer for China's arms industry over the past five years. Sales included more than 1,000 surface-to-air and anti-ship missiles, along with 50 infantry fighting vehicles, and accounted for 14 percent of China's arms exports by value during 2005-2009, according to SIPRI.
While none of the sales violated U.N. sanctions against Iran or other international agreements, they may reinforce perceptions that China's thriving economic relations with Iran are encouraging it to resist supporting a new round of sanctions against Tehran. The U.S. and other Western powers are seeking the measures to pressure Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment program.
So I guess we know why the Chinese don't want to slap any sanction on Iran, eh?
By: Brant
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