Concerns about China’s aggressive efforts to acquire American military technology have emerged as a pivotal issue in the ongoing debate over whether the United States should supply Saudi Arabia with F-35 fighter jets. This sentiment is echoed by experts and retired senior military officials.

Retired General Charles Wald, a former U.S. Air Force officer and ex-deputy commander of the United States European Command (EUCOM), highlighted past instances where the U.S. opted not to sell these advanced jets to the United Arab Emirates and Turkey due to fears of Chinese technology exploitation.

“We made it clear to Turkey and the UAE that they wouldn’t receive the F-35, primarily because of concerns regarding potential technology transfer to China,” Wald explained. “The primary concern with selling the F-35 to Saudi Arabia is not that they would willingly hand it over to China, but rather that China could exploit it through intelligence operations. Personally, I am less worried than some about this risk,” Wald remarked during a briefing at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA) this week.

Meanwhile, China expert Gordon Chang emphasized that Beijing’s track record of penetrating U.S. defense programs suggests they may be targeting the F-35 program once more. “We should operate under the assumption that China already possesses much of this information. They’ve successfully stolen details about the plane before and could very well do it again,” Chang commented in an interview with Fox News Digital.

China expert Gordon Chang said Beijing has already demonstrated its ability to penetrate U.S. defense programs and should be assumed to be targeting the F-35 again. “We should assume China has everything already. They already stole the whole plane once. They probably did it again,” Chang told Fox News Digital.

He argued that Washington must balance the risks with the strategic benefits of strengthening ties with Riyadh. “We need to cement the relationship with the crown prince, especially if that helps him sign off on an Abraham Accord. Let him have stripped-down F-35s,” he said.

He added that other U.S. partners may present even greater concerns. “I’m much more worried about South Korea having the plane and turning over the plans to China.”

Chinese intelligence services have been implicated for years in efforts to harvest American military and aerospace technology, including stealth designs, propulsion systems, and advanced avionics. U.S. officials have previously linked Chinese cyber actors to thefts targeting premier American defense programs, including components resembling those found in fifth-generation fighters.

An F-35A Lightning II aircraft assigned to Hill Air Force Base, Utah, prepares to be refueled by a 459th Air Refueling Wing KC-135 Stratotanker during a flight to Graf Ignatievo Air Base, Bulgaria, April 28, 2017.  (U.S. Air Force)

Against that backdrop, the United States is weighing whether to approve Saudi Arabia’s request for the F-35 as part of a broader negotiation that includes defense assurances and potential diplomatic progress with Israel.

(Ret.) Lt. Gen. Robert Ashley, former director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, said the United States uses foreign military sales monitoring protocols to reduce risk, but the protections are not perfect. “One of the things that we do through foreign military sales is end-use case monitoring protocol,” Ashley said. “We watch very closely how these kinds of advanced systems are used … but they’re not absolute.”

In this April 12, 2018, file photo released by Xinhua News Agency, Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks after reviewing the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy fleet in the South China Sea. (Li Gang/Xinhua via AP, File)

Despite the China threat, the retired commanders said they do not believe a Saudi F-35 acquisition would undermine Israel’s qualitative military edge.

Wald emphasized that Israeli pilots, planners, and engineers maintain a superior level of training and innovation. “There’s a big difference between the Israeli actual pilot capability than the other countries out there,” Wald said. He added that Israel has integrated its own upgrades into the aircraft. “The Israelis modified their own F-35 a little bit … they created or developed [additional capabilities] just prior to the attack on Iran.”

An Israeli Air Force F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft flies over during an air show in Tel Aviv on April 26, 2023.  (Jack Guez/AFP via Getty Images)

Wald noted that even if approved, Riyadh would not receive the aircraft for years. “At the very least, there’s probably about a five-year window here before that would happen if they got the F-35,” he said.

Ashley and Wald said that in the long term, additional F-35s in the region could enhance shared situational awareness and strengthen collective defenses against Iran. Retired Vice Adm. Mark Fox said the fighter’s data-sharing architecture means more aircraft in allied hands improves overall performance. “The one thing about F-35 is it talks to every other F-35,” Fox said. “Having more F-35s in the region actually increases the capability of the coalition.”