With the US considering the sale of F-35 fighters to Saudi Arabia, there are concerns in the American intelligence community that the jets’ sensitive technology could reach China while at the same time upsetting the balance of power in the Middle East, The New York Times reported Thursday.

A recent Pentagon intelligence report warned, according to The Times, that the proposed sale of 48 F-35 fighters, worth billions of dollars, to Saudi Arabia could inadvertently grant Beijing access to the technology, either by espionage or through burgeoning defense ties.

According to the report, US officials are considering putting in place certain safeguards to prevent China from gaining access to the jets, although it said it was not clear what safeguards, if any, would be included in a sales agreement between the US and Saudi Arabia.

Earlier this month, Reuters reported that the potential sale of the F-35s to Riyadh cleared a key Pentagon hurdle, moving a step closer to completion ahead of an upcoming visit to Washington by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman next week.

The visit is expected to focus mainly on defense issues, as well as the........

© The Times of Israel