Is there any particular reason why China develops vehicles specifically for export, in parallel to vehicle for service use? I understand that you might not want to sell your most capable vehicles to a foreign nation; for that purpose the US and the Russians often sell export version of what they use - models with less advanced armor, lacking the most advanced electronics, and so on. But the Chinese seems keen to provide vehicles that are substantially different purely for export, and this has always confused me. After all, one of the best selling point when it comes to military hardware is if the nation selling it feels confident enough to adopt it as part of its own service lineup.
There's likely a variety of reasons that has resulted in the current approach
First of all, being that current modern/in use/in production stuff is not to be sold to other countries except some exceptions (J-10CE to Pakistan).
Second, likely being that many export variants might be stuff that 'failed' in making it into the PLA, like they got rejected and then some small modifications and then it gets put to sale for export.
And also, it's not like everything is downgraded (well missiles are likely), like a lot of ground vehicles and their stuff on them might be better than domestic counterparts for the PLA, reason likely being too expensive to mass produce to the required numbers for the PLA.
The above is just what I can think of on top of my head, likely more? Others here on this forum likely knows more.
