Is the UAE selling chips and f35s to China
Executive summary
Available reporting shows no firm evidence that the United Arab Emirates is selling U.S. F‑35 jets or U.S.-sourced chips to China. Instead, multiple outlets document that F‑35 talks between the UAE and the United States have stalled or been suspended amid U.S. concerns about Emirati ties to China — including Huawei and other defense cooperation — and that the UAE has pursued alternative suppliers such as France and China for some platforms [1] [2] [3].
1. What the record actually says about F‑35s: stalled talks, not a sale
News analysis across Western outlets reports the UAE’s prospective $23 billion F‑35/Reaper package has repeatedly stalled: talks were suspended in mid‑December 2021 and have remained in limbo, with some Emirati statements saying they do not plan to reopen F‑35 negotiations for the foreseeable future [4] [2]. Coverage notes U.S. officials repeatedly flagged the UAE’s growing military and commercial ties with China as a central reason for caution about transferring sensitive U.S. technology [5] [3].
2. Why Washington has objected: “the China factor”
U.S. concerns in the record center on whether Emirati connections to Chinese technology and defense firms could expose sensitive F‑35 technology to Beijing. Reporting cites Huawei’s 5G networks and other China‑UAE defense interactions as specific friction points that prompted U.S. reviews and restrictions on the deal [6] [7] [5]. Analysts and officials framed the dilemma as a wider U.S. choice between preserving security ties and accommodating partners’ economic links to China [5].
3. UAE alternatives and hedging: buying Rafales, working with China
Rather than receiving U.S. F‑35s, the UAE has diversified. It purchased 80 French Rafale fighters and took delivery of French jets while the F‑35 prospect languished [1]. Separately, the UAE has bought Chinese systems such as Wing Loong drones and Hongdu L‑15 trainers and held joint air exercises with China, signaling an active military relationship with Beijing even as it courts the U.S. [3] [4].
4. Is the UAE selling chips or F‑35s to China? The sources do not report any such transfers
Available sources document UAE purchases and cooperation with China and U.S. worries about those ties, but they do not report the UAE exporting F‑35 aircraft to China or selling U.S. F‑35 components or advanced chips to Beijing. Reporting frames the problem as potential risk of Chinese espionage or access, not as an established Emirati sale of U.S. platforms to China [5] [3]. If you are asking whether the UAE has sold chips or F‑35s to China, those transactions are not described in the sources provided (not found in current reporting).
5. Competing narratives and motivations to watch
Some commentators warn that Gulf states are repositioning as independent security buyers—seeking both U.S. technology and Chinese or European alternatives—while Washington emphasizes technology security and Israel worries about regional qualitative edges [5] [7]. Middle Eastern and regional sources sometimes frame Emirati moves as pragmatic hedging against threats like Houthi attacks, which the UAE says drove some of its purchases from China [8]. Each party brings interests: Washington wants to protect F‑35 secrets, the UAE wants diversified suppliers and operational freedom, and China seeks regional influence through arms exports [5] [8].
6. What to monitor next — concrete indicators of change
Watch for formal sales contracts, delivery records, or leaked procurement documents. Renewed U.S. statements placing conditions on sales, Emirati denials or confirmations about reopening F‑35 talks, and any publicized UAE‑China defense transfers beyond trainers and drones would be decisive. Current public reporting notes continuing dialogue on F‑35s but emphasizes U.S. caution tied to China relations [9] [4].
Limitations and source transparency: my assessment relies solely on the provided set of articles. Those sources document stalled U.S. F‑35 talks, renewed Emirati purchases from France and China, and U.S. concerns about UAE‑China ties, but they do not assert that the UAE has exported F‑35s or advanced U.S. chips to China [1] [3] [5].