In what is seen as a significant setback to China’s strategic ambitions in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia has reportedly declined Beijing’s offer to sell its J-35A fighter jets, a fourth-generation warplane that China hoped would challenge Western dominance in the region.
The rejection delivers a direct blow to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s broader Middle East strategy, which aims to displace American-made military platforms in the Gulf with Chinese defense technology.
Beijing has actively sought to expand its arms footprint in a region historically aligned with Western defense contractors, but Riyadh’s move signals that Gulf states remain wary of fully integrating Chinese-made military hardware into their arsenals.
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According to experts cited in an Indian defense report, Xi Jinping had anticipated that if a major Gulf military power like Saudi Arabia opted for the J-35A, it would disrupt Washington’s dominance in the regional arms market.
The deal could have set a precedent for other Gulf states to pivot toward Chinese military technology, thereby curbing the United States’ strategic leverage in the oil-rich region.
However, despite Beijing’s extensive diplomatic and military outreach, Saudi Arabia chose instead to advance discussions with the United Kingdom, Italy, and Japan during the G-20 summit in India, where Riyadh explored potential collaboration in developing sixth-generation fighter jets.
This strategic pivot suggests that Saudi Arabia is prioritizing cutting-edge defense technology from established military-industrial powerhouses rather than embracing China’s relatively unproven fifth-generation capabilities.
The rejection of the J-35A aligns with Riyadh’s broader strategy of maintaining a diversified military procurement approach, balancing ties between Western allies, emerging defense partners like Türkiye, and new players like China.
Reports from late 2023 indicate that Saudi Arabia is actively considering the acquisition of approximately 100 units of Türkiye’s next-generation “KAAN” fighter jets, an ambitious fifth-generation stealth aircraft being developed by Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI).
The potential procurement of the KAAN was reportedly a key topic of discussion during a high-profile visit to Türkiye by the Commander of the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF), Prince Turki bin Bandar Al Saud.
The Saudi delegation met with leading Turkish defense firms, including Roketsan, Aselsan, and TAI, underscoring Riyadh’s growing interest in diversifying its defense partnerships beyond traditional Western suppliers.
Beyond Türkiye, the RSAF has also engaged in negotiations with manufacturers of the Rafale (France), F-15EX (United States), and Eurofighter Typhoon (United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, and Spain).
This diversified procurement strategy reflects Riyadh’s commitment to acquiring advanced multi-role combat aircraft from a range of suppliers, ensuring interoperability while hedging against geopolitical uncertainties.
In contrast, China’s J-35A fighter jet has struggled to attract buyers, with Pakistan currently the only country expressing interest in the aircraft.
After months of speculation, Pakistan officially confirmed in December 2023 that it would procure 40 units of China’s J-35A fighters, marking the first-ever export of a Chinese fourth-generation fighter jet.
Manufactured by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation, the J-35A is envisioned as a multirole stealth fighter, optimized for both air-to-air superiority and precision air-to-ground strike missions.
The J-35A features a dual-engine configuration, but domestically produced WS-10A and subsequent development are still in infancy and far from maturity.
J-35A has a questionable stealth capability because China lacks baked-mesh technology and most it’s composite industry relies on Germany, Sweden and Italy.
J-35A has avionics suite same as the JF-17 Thunder aircraft, Chinese KLJ-7A AESA radar is based on ZHUK-AME and jet is yet to achieve any network centric operation.
Saudi Arabia’s rejection of the J-35A underscores the challenges Beijing faces in positioning itself as a viable alternative to Western defense giants.
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