The United States Congress has reportedly launched a probe after a shipment of sensitive F-35 fighter jet parts was said to have been unexpectedly diverted to Hong Kong and went missing, with the cityโs authorities declining to comment on the case.
A spokesman for the Hong Kong government said over the weekend that it would not comment on individual cases, a day after US media outlet Politico reported the story.
Citing three anonymous sources, Politico said the F-35 parts were shipped from Australia to the United States for repairs and were diverted to Hong Kong as they transited the Pacific Ocean this summer.
The Pentagonโs F-35 Joint Programme Office confirmed it was โaware of a shipment issue of unserviceable F-35 Lightning II componentsโ, saying it was working with US authorities and industry partners โto retrieve these components, investigate the incident and place safeguards to avoid a future occurrenceโ.