China could acquire F-35 fighter jet technology through Saudi Arabia, US officials warn - report

SEPTEMBER 17, 2026 12:17US intelligence officers have voiced concerns that China could acquire F-35 fighter jet technology through Saudi Arabia, officials told The New York Times on Wednesday.The officials' fears stem from the United States' multi-billion-dollar sale of 48 of the aircraft to Saudi Arabia, which has been pending since November 2025. Similar concerns were raised at the time the potential deal was initially announced.The US officials said that China could receive the technology either via spying or through its military and security partnership with Saudi Arabia.A Pentagon intelligence report on the subject, the NYT reported, said that the F-35 technology storage sites should be restricted to US and Saudi personnel.Analysts in the report questioned whether Saudi Arabia would agree to limiting general contact with the Chinese military and associated entities, as well as removing equipment from Chinese manufacturers from telecommunications and router infrastructure.CHINESE PRESIDENT Xi Jinping meets with then-Saudi deputy crown prince Mohammed bin Salman during the G20 Summit in Zhejiang province, China, in 2016. (credit: Damir Sagolj/Reuters)The State Department, Pentagon, and Saudi Arabian Embassy in Washington declined to comment to the NYT, while the White House and Chinese Embassy did not reply to requests.Saudi F-35 deal raises concerns over Israel's military edgeWhen the deal was first under consideration in 2025, the NYT reported that it had raised concerns over Israel’s qualitative military edge in the region.Israel is the only country in the Middle East that currently operates these jets, using them in airstrikes on Iran in October 2024 and June 2025.Since the 1973 war, US policymakers have worked to ensure that Israel maintains its qualitative military edge, with Congress requiring that the US guarantee Israel can defeat any “credible conventional military threat” while suffering minimal damage and casualties.Eli Leon contributed to this report.Follow us on Google