Cash-strapped Pakistan Leaning on China's Largesse for Arms Flow

The total arms imports from China between 2019 and 2023 alone were valued at $5.28 billion

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With the USA having cut off arms supplies to Pakistan in the wake of the changed geopolitical situation in Afghanistan, cash-strapped Islamabad has been increasingly leaning on China in recent years to fill the gap.

According to data compiled by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), China was the largest supplier of military hardware to Pakistan, accounting for as much as 81 per cent of the country's total imports, followed by the Netherlands at 5.5 per cent and Turkey at 3.8 per cent.

Turkey is also emerging as a close ally of Pakistan. Turkish President Erdogan expressed solidarity with Pakistan amid rising tensions with India following Operation Sindoor.