Hong Kong authorities have declined to comment on a report that parts for F-35 fighter jets, a classified US aircraft targeted by Chinese intelligence, were diverted to the city.
F-35B Lightning II aircraft at Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska. Photo: F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office, via Facebook.Media outlet Politico reported last week that a shipment of US-bound F-35 parts being flown from Australia this summer ended up in Hong Kong, citing anonymous sources.
The alleged incident prompted a US government investigation amid concerns that China could gain access to the sensitive weapon system, the US news site reported.
A spokesperson for the Hong Kong government said it “will not comment on individual incidents.”
According to Politico, the parts – which included one of the jet’s canopies – were being transported by an intermediary on behalf of F-35 manufacturer Lockheed Martin.
Sources told Politico that the canopies contain technology that only the US and its allies have.
The US Congress. File photo: Wikimedia Commons.Lawmakers on the US House committee that oversees armed services are looking into the incident, House Armed Services Committee spokesperson Heather Vaughan told media outlets.
“The committee is aware of this issue and we’ve received multiple briefings on it,” Vaughan said.
The F-35 project is governed by the US government’s F-35 Lightning II Joint Program Office. The office counts US allies, including the UK, Australia and Canada, among its partners purchasing the aircraft.
A Beijing foreign ministry spokesperson said in 2022 that China had “no interest in the [US’s] aircraft.”