Detected PRC cyberspace operations have targeted telecommunications firms, managed service providers (MSPs), and software developers. Key U.S. targets include proprietary commercial and military technology companies and research institutions associated with defense, energy, and other sectors.
The PRC seeks to create disruptive and destructive effects—from denial-of-service attacks to physical disruptions of critical infrastructure—to shape decision-making and disrupt military operations at the initial stages and throughout a conflict. China’s activities in cyberspace constitute a fundamentally different, more complex, and more urgent challenge to the United States national security today than they did a decade ago.
CHINA’S ARMS EXPORTS
China is the fifth-largest arms supplier in the world, and sells nearly every category of conventional military equipment including UAVs, MANPADS, submarines, naval surface vessels, surface to air missile systems, and fighter aircraft to customers worldwide.
Many developing countries buy Chinese weapons systems because they are less expensive than other comparable systems. Although some potential customers consider arms made by the PRC to be of lower quality and reliability, many of China’s systems are offered with enticements such as donations and flexible payment options, which make them appealing options for buyers.
China’s arms sales operate primarily through state-run export organizations such as AVIC and North Industries Corporation (NORINCO). Arms transfers also are a component of the PRC’s foreign policy, used in conjunction with other types of assistance to complement foreign policy initiatives undertaken as part of China’s BRI.
- Fixed-Wing Aircraft. China offers three combat aircraft for export: the FC-31 fifth generation multirole combat aircraft, the JF-17 light combat aircraft, and the J-10 multirole combat aircraft. As of 2022, China had not sold any FC-31s and had sold J-10s only to Pakistan. China co-produces the JF-17 with Pakistan, which has been sold to Burma, Iraq, and Nigeria. China has supplied strike-capable Caihong and Wing Loong UAVs to countries including Algeria, Pakistan, Egypt, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, and the UAE.
- Precision-Strike Weapons. As of 2021, China had exported ballistic missile systems, including the M20, BP-12, and Joint Attack Rocket and Missile System (JARM), as well as long-range satellite-guided rocket systems. Although China typically does not disclose the countries purchasing these types of arms, in 2021, Burma displayed an SY-400 transporter erector launcher (TEL) and in 2017 Qatar displayed a JARM.
- Air Defense Systems. In April 2022, Beijing made its first delivery of a surface-to-air missile system to a European nation, Serbia. Serbia displayed the PRC-produced FK-3 medium- to
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OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF DEFENSE
Annual Report to Congress: Military and Security Developments Involving the People's Republic of China
