MOTIVATIONS BEHIND CHINA’S ARMS SALES TO SUB-SAHARAN AFRICAN COUNTRIES

This study seeks to answer the following social science research question: what drives China’s conventional arms transfers to sub-Saharan African countries? It hypothesizes that the arms sales are motivated less by economic considerations and more by strategic considerations. To test the hypothesis, this study utilizes a comparative case study analysis of Sudan, Nigeria, and Angola to look for economic and strategic considerations for arms transfers. By examining the prevalence of each consideration in the cases, the study can draw broader conclusions as to whether China is primarily motivated by economic or strategic reasons. The study finds that both economic and strategic considerations are present in the cases. Issues with data prevent this paper from drawing definitive conclusions about China’s arms transfers to sub-Saharan Africa. However, the preponderance of available data indicates that China is likely motivated more by strategic considerations than economic considerations