Pertains only to years of major arms sales. Supply position defined in value of sales. Sources for events cited in text above. While Chinese weapons production licenses granted worldwide are relatively few, it appears the states securing them have done so as part of a broader strategy of reducing their vulnerability in the global arms market. The level of U.S. military aid and scope of bilateral and multilateral security guarantees slowly, but perceptibly diminishes.
China maintains the rapid growth rates it has achieved over the past decade.
With its comprehensive, dependable, and inexpensive line of hardware, the PRC is well positioned to secure some contracts from more impoverished, isolated, and threatened clients. Any state convinced Beijing will come to its assistance with military force to defend its sovereignty, and willing to join with it in an implicit or explicit bilateral security relationship, will be more prepared to equip its armed forces with Chinese material. In the decade ahead, because of China's limited force projection capability, there are few prospects for this beyond several of the PRC's regional neighbors.