US Intelligence Warns of Chinese Espionage Risk in Saudi F-35 Deal

U.S. intelligence agencies are warning that China could exploit its deep ties with Saudi Arabia to spy on sensitive technology related to the F-35 fighter jets, should the U.S. proceed with a potential sale of dozens of the advanced stealth aircraft to Riyadh. The "New York Times" reported that the Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) had previously issued internal reports flagging Chinese espionage risks, with a more recent, detailed report from several months ago specifically addressing China's access to Saudi military bases and its use of Chinese communication technologies.

Intelligence community analysts are concerned that China could gain access to classified F-35 technologies due to extensive economic and security cooperation with Riyadh. The DIA report specifically highlighted concerns about protecting the F-35's advanced radar and espionage technologies, recommending that only Saudi and American personnel, including civilian contractors, be granted access to facilities housing this technology within Saudi Arabia.

The potential sale, announced by former President Donald Trump in November of the previous year before Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's visit to the White House, involves 48 F-35 jets valued at $24 billion. This announcement was seen as a blow to Israel, which fears that selling advanced aircraft to other Middle Eastern nations could compromise its air superiority and had hoped such a deal would be linked to a normalization agreement with Saudi Arabia.

Saudi Arabia is a major purchaser of U.S. military equipment but also collaborates with China on defense matters, including the acquisition of ballistic missiles. China is reportedly assisting Saudi Arabia in developing its own ballistic missile program. U.S. intelligence officials questioned in their report whether Saudi Arabia would limit its engagement with Chinese military and intelligence personnel and entities, and whether it would agree to remove equipment from Chinese tech giants like Huawei and ZTE from its communication and security infrastructure.

Similar concerns about Chinese espionage arose following a comparable F-35 deal with the United Arab Emirates in 2020, which was part of its normalization agreement with Israel. A review during the Biden administration ultimately halted that sale. However, it remains unclear how significantly these concerns will impact the Saudi deal, as the current administration could expedite it without congressional approval by citing regional emergencies, a tactic previously used for arms sales to Israel.