Looking In and Looking Out: Understanding China’s Non-Membership of the Wassenaar Arrangement

As a part of the Multilateral Export Control Regimes (MECR), the Wassenaar Arrangement (WA) is an important tool to prevent the illicit acquisition and accumulation of conventional weapons, dual-use items and technologies. Engaging and involving countries that manufacture and possess these sensitive items can reduce the risk of such items and technologies falling into the wrong hands. Given that China is currently a significant source country for many types of conventional weapons and dual-use items, understanding China’s non-membership of the WA and the reasons for its non-membership can aid in future dialogue between China and the WA, thereby strengthening the WA and the international nonproliferation regime.This paper first examines four major reasons behind China’s non-membership of the WA from U.S., Russian, and Chinese perspectives and since the formation of the WA until the present day. In addition, an assessment of these four reasons is conducted. The assessment shows that China was willing to join the WA at various junctures but its membership was not accepted because it was unable to meet requirements for WA membership. Over time, China became frustrated over repeated failures in obtaining WA membership and interest in membership began to wane. Importantly, as China’s own industrial and economic development progressed, China saw little benefits of WA membership. Other factors considered in this study include China’s own behavior in exporting Chinese-origin weapons and high-tech products to non-WA countries and the implications of China’s still developing domestic export control regime. Lastly, an argument that the WA is used as a tool by western powers to hinder China from getting access to the high-tech items is also considered.This study concludes that the objective of the WA, namely the control ofproliferation-sensitive items and technologies, has been sidetracked and failure to include China in the WA hinders the effectiveness of the WA as a whole. Due to China’s domestic development and increasing global clout, inclusion of China in the WA will strengthen existing export controls and international nonproliferation.