Chinese Influence Map Reveals Expanding Footprint In The Indo-Pacific, Middle East, And Africa

In the past year, China has significantly increased its military activities, marked by a 7.2% rise in defence spending and extensive military exercises, including large-scale drills near Taiwan. China is rapidly modernising its military capabilities, expanding naval power and missile arsenals, while investing in advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence. These developments have raised concerns among the United States and its allies about China's assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region, highlighting a strategic push for greater regional and global influence by Beijing as it aims to establish a "world-class military" by 2049.

Chinese military activity around Taiwan has escalated recently, as seen in the graph above, marked by significant incursions of aircraft into their air defence identification zone (ADIZ), as well as naval activity around their territorial waters. This escalation, along with increased aggression towards the Philippines and other countries bordering the South China Sea, raises regional tensions and compels Taiwan and others to bolster their defensive readiness.

Chinese Munitions Found Across the Globe

Chinese munitions have been confirmed by Fenix Insight to be used in conflict in various locations across the globe. The map below highlights China's expanding influence in global arms markets, with its munitions increasingly utilised by various state and non-state actors in the Middle East, Africa and South East Asia.

Usage of Chinese munitions in these areas have been identified by Fenix Insight analysts in the examples below.

RED ARROW 8 (HJ-8) FAMILY

Anti-Tank Guided Missile

The Red Arrow 8 are a family of Chinese-developed, wire-guided, anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs), which use semi-automatic command-to-line-of-sight (SACLOS) guidance.

METIS EVENT: "[...] #IDF captured a cache of weapons reportedly belonging to "Al-Qassam Brigades" (#HAMAS) in #Rafah, #Gaza [...] #China-made  HJ-8L 'Red Arrow'  missile were captured." METIS EVENT: "[...] ISIS using HJ-8 [...] to hit SAA armour in a Decer '15 video release from Homs. The former was supplied to rebels via Sudan & captured by IS, latter captured from SAA."

WR2004

Rocket-Assisted Projectile

The WR2004 is a Chinese fin- and spin-stabilised, high-explosive fragmentation (HE-frag) anti-personnel (AP or APERS) round.

METIS EVENT: "Sudanese Forces (#SAF) released a new video after attacking Rapid Support Forces (#RSF) positions in #Omdurman, #Khartoum State." METIS EVENT: "#JNIM (part of #AlQaeda) attacked on Burkinabe Forces in Fada N'gourma. Militants captured [...] a WR2004 projectile."

New Chinese Munitions Recently Revealed

Two new anti-tank (AT) mines were revealed at the Zhuhai Airshow in November 2024. These are both referred to as 'smart mines', that utilise a mix of seismic, acoustic and optical sensors. 

 The Type 925 Intelligent Top Attack Munition System is an off-route, top attack, AT mine. It is unique in that the submunition it launches is capable of autonomous flight, using its onboard rotor system, greatly extending the range far beyond conventional top-attack mines. The LY-501N Smart Mine is an off-route, side-attack, AT mine with a mechanism that can control the pitch of its directional warhead.

TYPE 925

OFF-ROUTE ANTI-TANK MINE

LY-501

OFF-ROUTE ANTI-TANK MINE

Additionally, two new rocket-assisted guided projectiles were displayed. The LHA-40 is 40 mm, laser-guided, fin- and spin-stabilised, with the overall design similar to the Raytheon Pike semi-active laser-guided precision munition. The IG-40 is a larger image-guided, fin- and spin-stabilised, high-explosive, anti-drone, dual-purpose (HEADDP) design. While this is claimed to be an anti-drone (uncrewed aerial vehicle [UAV]) munition, it would likely also be used to target helicopters.

LHA-40

ROCKET ASSISTED PROJECTILE

IG-40

ROCKET ASSISTED PROJECTILE

As China's  influence in the Indo-Pacific region expands , along with the expected decrease in Russian and Iranian influence in the Middle East and Africa, it is likely that larger quantities and varieties of Chinese munitions will appear globally.

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