CHINA has unveiled in its chilling new J-35 fighter jet which has an uncanny similarity to the American F-35.

Claims have even been made the fifth generation fighter was built from designs for the American craft which were stolen by Xi Jinping’s agents.

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The supersonic jets are both designed for stealthiness and manoeuvrability, and with an advanced detection ability – but the Chinese craft is years after the American.

Its development comes as the People’s Liberation Army challenges the US military for supremacy over flashpoints like the Taiwan Strait or the South China Sea.

The new J-35A has now been seen for the first time at an air show in the southern city of Zhuhai.

The jet can be seen quickly flying through the air vertically and upside down, a clip in Chinese media shows.

But China’s latest craft – built by Shenyang Aircraft Corporation – has a striking resemblance to America’s supersonic stealth fighter the F-35.

The design of the craft looks similar, including its air inlets, canopy, and its official designation.

Experts believe that the inside of the high-tech jet could be where the main areas of design theft have occurred.

The J-35A is the land-based variant of the fighter that has longer range, with the Chinese Navy also having a version for its carriers.

The plane has been in development for over a decade and will also likely be exported to the countries allies like Pakistan.

Chinese officials told state television: “For the first time, new equipment such as the medium-weight, stealth multi-role fighter J-35A, the HQ-19 surface-to-air missile and a new type of reconnaissance and strike unmanned aerial vehicle will be on display.”

There are some differences between the craft, with the Chinese jet able to fly faster and reach Mach 2.0, while the American can only reach Mach 1.6.

The Chinese fighter has two jets, to the American’s one, and it is not able to do a short take-off or land vertically, according to The Warzone.

Lockheed Martin, who makes the F-35, describes their plane as the “most advanced fighter jet in the world”.

They write: “The F-35 strengthens national security, enhances global partnerships and powers economic growth.

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“It is the most lethal, survivable and connected fighter aircraft in the world, giving pilots an advantage against any adversary and enabling them to execute their mission and come home safe.”

Both aircraft are able to carry a wide variety of offensive weapons including air-to-air missiles and precision guided bombs.

The F-35 is able to carry slightly more munitions than its Chinese counterpart giving the Pentagon more flexibility in its war planning.

The Chinese have stolen data from the Americans a number of times through the life of the F-35’s.

Documents released by Edward Snowden revealed that Chinese spies had hacked America’s $2trillion F-35 programme back in 2007.

In 2016, a Chinese national named Su Bin pleaded guilty to charges the US Department of Justice labelled a “years-long conspiracy” over terabytes of stolen military data.

Bin stole top secret designs for America’s stealth fighters, the F-22 and F-35 in concert with high-ranking Chinese officials.

Su was an aviation businessman and accessed the data through a Boeing computer in Orange County, California.

The DoJ say that over time Su built relationships with Lockheed Martin’s contractors and over a period of years was able to get access to the highly prized details.

The ‘lost’ F-35

Last year, the US military ‘lost’ an F-35 jet after its pilot was forced to eject and the plane flew on.

Despite crashing onto the continental US, the Marines weren’t able to find the wreckage for days after the jet flew on in a “zombie” state.

The plane and pilot belonged to the Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 501 based in Beaufort, not far from South Carolina’s Atlantic coast.

Local congresswoman, Nancy Mace, argued on X/Twitter on Monday: “How in the hell do you lose an F-35?

“How is there not a tracking device and we’re asking the public to what, find a jet and turn it in?”

The debris field was found days later and just 80 miles from the £64million aircraft’s base in Charleston – finally ending the mystery that surrounded its disappearance.

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