China's position as the world's third largest arms exporter has nothing to do with it providing high quality weapons or superior military technology. Chinese weapons aren't famous for their sophistication but are in demand because they're cheap, really cheap.

That means a country can, quite literally, get more bang per buck with Chinese weapons than they would with similar Russian or American weapons.

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China's emphasis on low prices helped make it the world's third top arms exporter in 2015, selling nearly $2 billion worth of arms, said the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. From 2011 to 2015, China was also the world's third largest arms exporter, accounting for some six percent of the total arms market. This is nearly double China's arms exports from 2006 to 2010.

China's weapons, however, were bought by only a few and mostly poor countries, a testimony to their low prices.

From 2011 to 2015, 71 percent of all Chinese arms sales went to only three countries: Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. The remainder mostly went to poorer countries such as Algeria, Sudan and Tanzania, all in Africa.

China has also made inroads in Iraq. Since the start of this year, the Iraqi Army has posted videos on YouTube showing its small fleet of CH-4B aerial drones made in China destroying vehicles, fighters and buildings belonging to the murderous Islamic terrorists called ISIL or Daesh.

Iraq is the leading combat operator of these drones armed with Chinese-made, precision strike AR-1 missiles and FT-5 precision guided bombs. A CH-4B (Cai Hong-4B) can mount up to six 45 kg AR-1 semi-active laser-guided missiles.

Iraq first used its CH-4B in combat in October 2015 and since then has deployed the drone to deadly effect. CH-4 is a medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial vehicle system designed and built by China Academy of Aerospace Aerodynamics (also known as the 11th Academy) of the China Aerospace Science & Technology Corporation (CASC) consortium.

The reason for the CH-4s popularity in the Middle East and Africa is its price: a CH-4 costs only $1 million compared to the price tag of $30 million for the MQ-9 Predator. Another reason is the no questions asked policy of CASC in contrast to the Americans who strictly limit the sale of the Predator to countries with acceptable humans rights records.

The Cai Hong-class in its different models has been sold to Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Nigeria.

In addition, China has sold eight Yuan-class submarines to Pakistan and three to Thailand. It's also sold tanks to Myanmar and anti-ship cruise missiles to Indonesia.

Tagschina's economy, arms exporter, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, weapons, CH-4B aerial drones, Iraq, China Aerospace Science & Technology Corporation