The General Armaments Department (GAD) of the Chinese Army is responsible for the nation’s weapons and its spaceflight program. It has been heading by General Chang Wanquan since 2007. Chinese armaments are considered to be world-class, even if they are home-grown. The defense industry in China is thriving, in part because of China’s goal of becoming a major arms exporter.
Through a series of steady advances, many weapon systems have a solid foundation. These include armored vehicles and missile systems. The days of reliance upon Soviet and then Russian sources for advanced military hardware are over. Instead, through heavy investments in the domestic defense industry, China has been able to develop some stunning systems, including the J10 jet fighter and the DF31 intercontinental ballistic missile. The J10 supplements the Russian-licensed S27 fighter jet produced by China, and matches the Russian craft in terms of technology.
Military spending has grown in the last decade, spurring progress in armament development. Double digit percentage increases in military spending are commonplace, to the unease of the U.S. and Japan. But the Chinese say that none of these weapons are for aggressive purposes. Also, they point out that much of the money spent by the GAD has gone towards weapons upgrades, training, uniforms, and living conditions for the over two million members of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
The third world has found a willing arms seller in China. This helps isolated dictatorships like those in the Sudan and Zimbabwe by offering them inexpensive weapon systems, like the Chinese version of the Russian Kalashnikov rifle and the JL9 Chinese-Pakistani jet trainer. The Chinese are apparently good arm merchants, and undercut the prices charged by competitors like the U.S., Britain, France and Russia.
The GAD began to reform the Chinese defense industry in the late 1990′s. They did so by introducing competition and increasing efficiency, although much of their activity is kept under wraps. However, new openness on the part of the PLA shows pride in their achievements. For instance, in 2009, when the Chinese navy celebrated its 60th anniversary, it held a joint fleet review with the U.S. and a few other nations to show off its latest naval hardware.
In fact, the navy is the prime recipient of armament spending boosts, out of fear of an attack to the Chinese coastline. To supplement their fleet of Russian imported ships, the Chinese have developed items like the Yuan-class diesel electric submarine. More aircraft carriers are contemplated as well. Since China is dependent on imported oil, it judges it to be imperative to keep shipping lanes open. The navy is also involved in enforcing Chinese claims to several islands in the South China Sea.