Wassenaar Arrangement: will China join or kill this 30-year-old weapon control club?
International regime controls defence tech exports but a push for self-reliance has seen Chinese weaponry surpass that of Western nations
This major international regime controls the export of weapons and advanced technologies, and its 42 member states include nearly all developed Western countries, nations closely tied to China like Russia, and developing countries such as India.
This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Wassenaar Arrangement. Ironically, China’s military technology has now caught up with – and in some areas even surpassed – that of Western nations.
China has already put into service hypersonic missiles with air-breathing engines and high-power laser weapons.
China is now also a key producer of semiconductors and quantum computing components that could be used in weapons and cyber warfare.