The human rights group Amnesty International says China is fast emerging as one of the world's biggest, most secretive and irresponsible arms exporters.
Amnesty says Chinese weapons sales to Sudan, Nepal and Burma have aggravated conflicts there and encouraged repressive rule in those countries.
In a new report, Amnesty accuses China of shipping tens of thousands of rifles and grenades to Nepal's security forces. It also says Beijing has exported hundreds of military trucks to Burma and Sudan.
The London-based group says China's arms exports, estimated to exceed $1 billion a year, often involve the exchange of weapons for raw materials to fuel the country's rapid economic growth.
China rarely confirms sales of military equipment - a policy that has compounded U.S. concerns about Beijing's military buildup and what Washington says is a lack of transparency in its defense policies.
Some information for this report was provided by AP.
