The balance sheet...

...of the world on display in the news.  Arms deals are always and everwhere a political statement.  In this case the Middle Kingdom is duplicating the tried and true method of providing weapons with political considerations attached...on both sides of the transaction.

This balance is exemplified by Saudi Arabia, a country with the population of Texas, becoming the 2nd largest importer of large arms in the world.  They don't need the arms.  They need the alliances that purchasing the arms pays for.

China’s exports of weapons rose by a 143% between 2010 and 2014, making the world’s second largest economy the third largest arms exporter behind Russia and top dog the U.S.

The Asian superpower rose above Germany, which had held third place until 2010 but saw its exports reduce by 43% over the same period, according to a report Monday from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

China also remains one of the top 10 importers of arms, but saw that number decrease by 42% over the past decade, the report said. The most significant jump in arms exports came among nations in the Gulf and the Middle East, with Saudi Arabia becoming the second largest importer of major weapons worldwide.