The Pentagon is currently working to recover the parts, which are coated in radar-absorbing material essential to the fighter's stealth capabilities. China has not returned the components, an incident that coincides with President Xi Jinping's arrival at Joint Base Andrews for a state visit with President Trump.
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
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China Takes Possession of F-35 Stealth Parts Diverted to Hong Kong
Geopolitics27 days ago
Components from Australia's F-35 stealth jets ended up in Chinese government hands after a shipping error in late May sent them to Hong Kong instead of the US. The shipment, which included a cockpit canopy and a weapons-bay door, was transported by a US-contracted UPS aircraft that stopped in South Korea before being inexplicably routed to Hong Kong, according to Bloomberg and officials briefed on the matter.
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