QJZ-89

Development of the QJZ-89, also designated as the Type 89, began in the People's Republic of China during the early 1980s. Chinese firearms designers initiated the project after analyzing Soviet publications regarding the NSV machine gun. Due to a translation error, the design team misinterpreted the recorded gun-only weight of the NSV as the weight of the entire weapon system including the tripod. Seeking to match this perceived technological achievement, Chinese designers developed a lightweight weapon system, only realizing the translation discrepancy after development had concluded. The weapon is manufactured by Norinco.

The firearm utilizes a hybrid operating system combining direct gas impingement and short-recoil operation. In this system, gas unlocks the breech block while the receiver recoils within an outer housing to operate the feed mechanism and reduce peak recoil forces transmitted to the mount. The direct impingement gas system is derived from the Type 77 machine gun. The weapon is equipped with iron sights and can fire specialized armor-piercing discarding sabot ammunition developed to increase performance against light armored vehicles.

The weapon is in service with the armed forces of China, where it is deployed in various roles, including being mounted on the guardrails of Type 054A frigates. Internationally, the weapon is operated by the military forces of Cambodia and Mongolia, with the Mongolian military deploying the system mounted on Dongfeng EQ2050 vehicles. The United Wa State Army, a non-state actor, also operates the weapon.