Wassenaar Arrangement: will China join or kill this 30-year-old weapon control club?

The Wassenaar Arrangement has long been seen as a symbol of China’s isolation from the global community.This major international regime controls the export of weapons and advanced technologies, and its 42 member states include nearly all developed Western countries, nations closely tied to China like Russia, and developing countries such as India.Together, they have worked to block non-members’ access to cutting-edge defence technologies and equipment. In China, the arrangement is viewed as hostile and humiliating and has served as a driving force for Beijing’s push towards self-reliance in defence technology.This year marks the 30th anniversary of the Wassenaar Arrangement. Ironically, China’s military technology has now caught up with – and in some areas even surpassed – that of Western nations.China has already put into service hypersonic missiles with air-breathing engines and high-power laser weapons.Its huge drone carrier equipped with electromagnetic catapults is undergoing sea trials, sixth-generation stealth fighter jets are in intensive test flights, and its humanoid robots and robotic dogs are leading the world in both technology and production capacity.China is now also a key producer of semiconductors and quantum computing components that could be used in weapons and cyber warfare.