In a move blending economics and strategy, Saudi Arabia eyes transforming a $2 billion debt owed by Pakistan into an arms acquisition centered on the JF-17 combat aircraft. Recent meetings between top brass from Islamabad and Riyadh underscore intensifying military ties, against a backdrop of shifting alliances in the Middle East and beyond.
This debt-to-weapons swap eases Pakistan’s strained finances while granting Saudi a cost-effective fighter option over exorbitant US or European jets. The JF-17, a Pakistan-China collaboration, emerges as the linchpin, reviving China’s push into skeptical markets via a trusted partner.
Media across Asia terms it ‘debt-for-arms,’ a tactic allowing Beijing to bypass past rejections. EU Reporter recalls the jet’s rocky history: marketed a decade back to multiple nations, it secured few takers. Myanmar’s fleet, for instance, suffered chronic breakdowns—engines failing, electronics obsolete, radars unreliable—leaving most planes idle by 2023 and questioning operational viability.
Pakistan, however, persists, negotiating JF-17 sales to Libya, Bangladesh, and Saudi Arabia. This positions the country as a go-to supplier for Islamic states, promoting the jet as an impartial choice free from overt Chinese or Russian strings. Critics note China’s inevitable involvement given Pakistan’s manufacturing constraints.
This approach is Beijing’s sly workaround, evading scrutiny on human rights and arms control. Europe worries about weakened oversight mechanisms, diluting its influence in international arms norms. For the United States, the stakes are higher: Pakistan’s intermediary role lets China infiltrate allied militaries covertly, complicating data sharing, joint operations, and strategic cohesion in critical regions.
