Teeth for the 21st Century: China’s new service rifle.

The newest People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Issued Service Weapon is the QBZ-191, a 5.8mm rifle designed to bring China’s land forces into the 21st Century.

What is current Chinese foreign policy?

Chinese foreign policy is the set of principles, strategies, and objectives that guide China's interactions with other countries and international organisations. China's foreign policy is driven by a number of factors, including the country's growing economic and military power, its territorial disputes, and its desire to play a larger role on the global stage.

One of the key elements of Chinese foreign policy is the "One China Policy," which maintains that Taiwan is an integral part of China and that the two sides must eventually be reunited. This policy has led to tension between China and countries that recognize Taiwan as a separate country, including the United States and the United Kingdom.

What is the new service rifle?

Enter, the age of Chinese military modernisation, and the Norinco (Northern Industrial Company) QBZ-191 service rifle. Having been adopted in 2019, it replaces the aging QBZ-95 that entered service in the 1990s. As with the previous service rifle, the QBZ-191 (henceforth just the 191) has been issued wholesale to military, police, government and security agencies, increasing the initial procurement burden but shortening the tail in the long run. The rifle is chambered in the 5.8x42mm cartridge, with superior ballistic characteristics to the M855A1 US enhanced performance round at range, the rounds are very similar at expected engagement distances in a modern war. The movement of the PLA away from the QBZ-95 bullpup design, and its distinct lack of modularity, towards the more modular and “Stoneresque” profile of the 191, says much to their intentions to field a much more modern and lethal fighting force.

The rifle itself does nothing to push the envelope per se; with picatinny rails, a choice of barrels from CQB to Marksman length and a shortstroke gas system similar to Heckler and Koch’s 416 series. This is likely to produce slightly stouter recoil on the shorter barrels than many Western equivalents - including the newest Japanese service rifles - as well as a very front-heavy weighting profile and significantly raising the cost-per-unit. The most interesting part of this new QBZ rifle suite will be the optics and laser-light modules (LLMs). Currently the 191 is being issued with the QMK-152 3x fixed magnification prismatic sight, and the Marksman version is reportedly being issued with a 4-15x variable magnification scope. If China is serious about bringing their forces into a modern battlefield, then they should be ready to invest heavly in Night Fighting capablities - that includes Night Vision systems and IR LLMs past some of the token gestures of 1970s era Generation 1 (Digital) Night Vision they have paraded historically.

The QBZ-191 family from front to rear; CQB length (12” barrel), Rifle length (16” barrel) and the Designated Marksman length (20” reinforced barrel).

Whilst it is not an inherently aggressive action to update a service rifle, it speaks to the shift in PLA rationale of higher-quality, lower-quantity arms to bring their historically large but poorly-equipped force into the 21st Century.

Another important aspect of Chinese foreign policy is the "Belt and Road Initiative" (BRI), which is a massive infrastructure development project that aims to connect China with other countries in Asia, Europe, and Africa through a network of roads, railways, ports, and other infrastructure. The BRI has been met with mixed reactions from other countries, with some welcoming it as a way to boost economic development and others viewing it as a means for China to exert influence and gain strategic advantages over other countries.

Focus on Multilateralism

China's foreign policy is also characterized by its focus on multilateralism, which is the idea that global issues should be addressed through cooperation among multiple countries rather than through the actions of a single country. China has been actively involved in various international organizations, such as the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, and the G20, and has played a leading role in promoting global governance and economic cooperation.

In recent years, China has also been pursuing a more assertive foreign policy, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region. This has included the construction of military bases and artificial islands in the South China Sea, which has led to territorial disputes with other countries in the region, including Japan, the Philippines, and Vietnam. The UK has also expressed concerns about China's actions in the South China Sea as it can threaten the freedom of navigation and regional security.

China's growing economic and military power has also led to concerns about its potential to challenge the existing international order and the rules-based system established after World War II. The UK, along with other countries, has expressed concerns about China's human rights record, its treatment of ethnic minorities, and its suppression of political dissent.

In recent years, China has also been pursuing a more assertive foreign policy, particularly in the Asia-Pacific region. This has included the construction of military bases and artificial islands in the South China Sea.

What does this mean for the UK?

In terms of the United Kingdom, Chinese foreign policy has implications for trade and economic relations, as well as security and defence. The United Kingdom has a strong trade relationship with China, but there have been concerns about the trade imbalance and the potential for Chinese companies to take over key industries in the UK, examples of this can be found in Chinese firms having disproportionately large stakes in UK Nuclear, Oil, Energy and Water industries, as well as UK conglomorates having Chinese parent companies. Additionally, China's territorial claims in the South China Sea and its activities in the Arctic have raised security concerns for the UK and its allies.

Relations between China and the United Kingdom, they have been relatively stable but with some tensions. The UK has a strong trade relationship with China, and the two countries have cooperated on issues such as climate change and counter-terrorism. However, there have been recent tensions between the two countries, particularly regarding issues such as human rights, the treatment of ethnic minorities, and the UK's decision to ban Huawei from its 5G networks.

Seino-UK Military Relations

The United Kingdom and China have had a limited military relationship in the past, but it has been largely focused on areas such as trade and defence equipment sales. In the past, the United Kingdom has sold a variety of military equipment to China, including aircraft and naval vessels, but these sales have declined in recent years due to concerns about human rights abuses and the potential for the equipment to be used in territorial disputes. Some examples of specific equipment that the UK has sold to China include:

• Combat aircraft: The UK sold China a number of Hawk jet trainer aircraft in the 1990s, which were used for both training and ground attack missions.

• Naval vessels: The UK has also sold China a number of naval vessels, including Type 42 destroyers and Type 22 frigates. These ships were equipped with a variety of weapons systems, including missiles and guns.

• Armoured vehicles: The UK has also sold China a number of armoured vehicles, including FV101 Scorpion and FV107 Scimitar light tanks.

• Small arms and ammunition: The UK has sold a wide variety of small arms and ammunition to China, including pistols, rifles, and machine guns.

A file image of the Hawk Jet Aircraft of the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) configured for Ground Attack role.

It's worth noting that UK had stopped arms sales to China in 1989 after the Tiananmen Square Massacre but it was resumed in the 1990s. However, in recent years, sales of military equipment to China have declined due to concerns about human rights abuses and the potential for the equipment to be used in territorial disputes. The UK government has also imposed some restrictions on the export of certain types of military equipment to China, such as those that could be used for internal repression or in territorial disputes.

In terms of military cooperation, the UK and China have participated in joint training exercises and have exchanged delegations of military officials. However, these activities have been very limited in scope and frequency.

In recent years, the UK and China have had some tensions in their military relationship. The UK has expressed concerns about China's territorial claims in the South China Sea and its activities in the Arctic, which threaten the freedom of navigation and regional security. The UK has also expressed concern about China's increasing military presence in Africa and its potential to establish a military base in the region. Most recently, the UK have had to deal with former RAF fighter pilots training current PLAAF pilots in exchange for large sums of money.

The UK has also been critical of China's human rights record and its treatment of ethnic minorities, which has led to some tensions in the bilateral relationship.

The military relationship between the UK and China is limited and has been characterized by tensions in recent years. The UK has sought to maintain the dialogue with China on defence and security issues, but it has also been critical of China's actions in the South China Sea and its human rights record.

Anecdotally, there are theories that the Chinese still harbour resentment for the actions of historic British Imperialism. The “century of humiliation” is still taught in Chinese schools and is a lynchpin of CCP propoganda to exert control over an increasingly belligerent Chinese population. Whilst this is nothing compared to the oppression the Chinese suffered under Japenese during the Second World War, it is still appears to have some bearing on how the Chinese view the UK ib global terms.

Overall, Chinese foreign policy is driven by a combination of economic, strategic and military interests, including the modernisation of its armed forces and security servicesm, the former potentially having significant implications for the United Kingdom and other countries. As China continues to assert itself on the global stage, it is important for the UK and other countries to carefully consider the potential impact of Chinese foreign policy on their own interests, such as the Chinese assertions of power in Africa and the Arctic.

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