US behind the arms buildup in Asia-Pacific

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, global transfers of arms increased by 8.4 percent between 2012 and 2016 compared with the previous five years, the highest of any five-year period since the end of Cold War in the early 1990s.

The United States remains the top arms exporter during the period, accounting for nearly one-third of all exports, followed by Russia (23 percent) and China (6.2 percent).

China's arms exports have jumped 74 percent over the last five years, compared with the 2007 to 2011 period, so it's no surprise that is has drawn the attention of global observers of the arms trade.