The Arms Race Continues

According to Al Jazeera, as the international arms trade continues to thrive, America reigns as the number one exporter of arms. From 2010 to 2014, America accounted for approximately 31 percent of all arms exports across the world, with Russia a close second, exporting 27 percent. One reason for America's supremacy in the arms race is that the country's main marketplaces, particularly the Middle East, have become very strong. One-third of America's exports go to American friendly Middle Eastern countries, such as Israel, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia. Also, the United States ships great amounts of armament to South Korea, Australia, and, newly, India. While American exports may seem to be a driving force in the international arms trade, the country that places third in the race is China. Germany had been third for numerous years, but recently that title had been taken by the Chinese, due to its arms market rising 143 percent from 2010 to 2014. Before this rapid increase in exportation, China had mostly imported armament from formerly communist countries such as Russia and Ukraine. However, now that China is rising in prominence, the country trades armament with approximately 35 different countries around the world. As the war on international terrorism continues to flourish, I fully understand why many industrialized countries that cover the globe would freely trade weapons and armaments between each other. I personally am glad that America is the number one country to export arms because that aids to keep the country's economy afloat and help our allied countries to protect themselves from our common enemies. 



A Chinese Polytech AK-47. A common exported firearm from
China to America.