Saudi Arabia is a severe blow to the China Middle East strategy by refusing to buy the J-35 ghost fighter, preferring to cooperate with Britain, Italy and Japan to develop a sixth generation fighter, which reveals the limits of Beijing’s influence in the Gulf arms market.
Arab Defense website-September 5, 2025: The refusal of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to offer to offer the purchase of the Chinese ghost fighter J-35 is a strong blow to Beijing’s efforts to undermine Western domination in the Middle East and expand its share in the arms market in the region.
Out Reports Media, Riyadh rejected the show, which was a prominent setback in the strategy of Chinese President Xi Jinping, who was hoping that the strong Gulf states would replace their American armament with Chinese equipment. He was betting that Saudi Arabia’s acquisition of J-35 would close the door to the American weapon in the region, as well as strengthening Beijing’s defensive sales.
However, despite China’s efforts to penetrate arms markets in the Middle East, Riyadh chose to go towards partnerships with Britain, Italy and Japan on the sidelines of the G20 summit in India, in order to develop the sixth generation fighters, according to the IDRW website specializing in defense affairs, who confirmed that these discussions have come to advance. The agreement is expected to be resolved before the end of this year, with the outline of the joint project.
A painful blow to Beijing
Saudi Arabia’s decision to reject the J-35 fighter is seen as a setback for China’s plans that seek to reduce Western influence and enhance its military presence in the Middle East.
So far, Pakistan is the only foreign buyer of the fifth -generation Chinese fighter, amid weighting that the deal includes about 40 aircraft, and Egypt is also talking as a possible destination for the Chinese fighter plane from the fifth generation.
According to reports, Saudi Arabia’s decision was not surprising or improvised, but rather came after an in -depth study, as Riyadh expressed limited interest in Chinese military equipment, by buying some weapons and participating in joint maneuvers, but it stopped there and did not acquire any strategic weapons from Beijing.
Analysts believe that the military relations between Riyadh and Beijing fall within the framework of the policy of diversifying the sources of arms, not in the context of a long -term commitment to the Chinese defense industry.
Also, the secret discussions that Saudi Arabia hold with Western countries, according to the IDRW website, confirms that the Kingdom puts its own eyes to enhance its long -term defense capabilities through superior technologies, which reflects a more firm strategic direction.
The shortcomings in J-35
Although the Chinese fighter is less expensive than its western counterparts such as F-35, doubts surround the quality and reliability of Chinese military equipment. This was clearly evident during the International Defense Exhibition in Riyadh in February 2024, where the FC-31 fighter, the initial version of J-35, failed to attract any buyers.
The reputation of Chinese weapons was strengthened by repeated practical problems; CH-4 aircraft suffered operational failures in Libya and Yemen, while HQ-9 air defense systems showed modest performance compared to their western counterparts during field trials, prompting many potential customers to go towards Western alternatives, according to the aforementioned website.
The report indicates that Saudi Arabia’s accession to the British-Italian-Japanese coalition to develop a sixth generation fighter reflects a broader strategic vision to enhance its national security in a sustainable way, and at the same time constitutes a warning bell for the Chinese defense industry whose strategy has not succeeded in providing cheaper alternatives in imposing a clear dominance in the Middle East market.
China has recently unveiled its new J-35A ghost fighter, which has sparked widespread attention in global military circles. This plane is a qualitative leap in China’s military capabilities, because of its advanced ghost technologies that make its radar monitoring a very difficult task.
Its streamlined design and special materials that absorb radar waves, give it a great advantage in staying away from sensor systems, which makes it one of the most prominent ghost fighters on the scene now.
But what attracts more attention is the development of the internal plane systems. It includes strong computers, advanced sensors, and engines believed to be WS-13, with later possibilities for the most advanced Us -19 engines. These engines guarantee a high speed, a capacity for sharp maneuver, and effective in the nearby air engagement. Its weapons are also carried in internal warehouses to maintain the ghost feature, and include air-to-air missiles and grenades.
The Chinyang J-35 fighter is a series of Chinese multi-task martial aircraft, with one seat and two engines, operating in all weather conditions and enjoying the capacity of steady, manufactured by the SAC SAC, and designed for air superiority and ground strikes. There are two copies of it: a wild version designed for the Chinese Air Force (Plaaf), and a copy of the aircraft carriers prepared for takeoff by the catobar for the Chinese marine weapon (Planaf), and the plane is promoted for export purposes.
The plane has been developed from the FC-31 Gyrfalcon model, a preliminary model of the ghost plane created with the aim of attracting potential buyers abroad after the SAC Loss of J-XX tender in favor of the Shangdo Aircraft Manufacturing Group.
Later, the Chinese armed forces, especially the naval, expressed interest in the FC-31 project, which led to the development of the initial model by adding bars launch in the catapult and foldable wings. The modified version was stuck for the first time on October 29, 2021. The wild version appeared in 2023, and it was officially unveiled before the China International Airlines and Space Exhibition 2024, and obtained the name J-35A.
On September 3, 2025, the official Chinese media, including China Daily, announced that the J-35 and J-35A models will join the fleet of aircraft at the Chinese navy and the Chinese Air Force. With the emergence of J-35, China becomes the only country after the United States that uses two types of ghost fighters from the fifth generation, after Chengdu J-20.
The Saudi article appeared refusing to buy the Chinese ghost fighter J-35 first on the Arab Defense website.
