Washington- President Donald Trump said Monday he will sell F-35 fighter jets to Saudi Arabia despite some concern within the administration that such a sale could lead to China gaining access to the US technology behind the advanced weapon system.

The announcement came on the eve of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's highly anticipated Washington visit, his first to the United States in more than seven years.

“I will say that that we will be doing that,” Trump said when asked if he would sell the jets to Saudi Arabia.“We'll be selling F-35s.”

The crown prince had been expected to arrive with a wish list that includes receiving formal assurances from Trump defining the scope of the US military protection for the kingdom and an agreement to buy US-made F-35 fighter jets, one of the world's most advanced aircraft.

The Republican administration, however, has been wary about upsetting Israel's qualitative military edge over its neighbours, especially at a time when Trump is depending on Israeli support for the success of his Gaza peace plan.

Another long-standing concern, which also derailed a potential similar sale to the United Arab Emirates, is that the F-35 technology could be stolen by or somehow transferred to China, which has close ties to both the UAE and Saudi Arabia, according to three administration officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations on the matter.

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