The Chinese government is attempting to recruit former and present British Air Force pilots to train its soldiers, and the British government declared on Tuesday that it is retaliating with “decisive steps.”
Although British military personnel occasionally engage in training exercises with foreign militaries, any former pilots of China—which London referred to as “the first danger” to regional and international security—raise serious questions.
A representative for the British Defense Ministry told France Press, “We take decisive actions to prohibit Chinese recruitment operations to hunt for competences among current and former UK armed troops to train the Popular Liberation Army.”
The British Ministry of Defense announced that it was “reviewing the usage of secrecy contracts and non-disclosure agreements,” noting that all present-day and earlier components are subject to the official secrets law, which forbids employees from working in the public sector in the UK.
The official also stated that “new national security law would create more measures to cope with this difficulty and other contemporary security challenges.
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A request for comment from AFP was not met with any response from the Chinese Ministry of National Defense.
It is notable that British media stated that several of the pilots who were recruited in their fifties and just departed the British Air Force accepted offers exceeding 240,000 pounds ($273,750).
Likewise, reports have also stated that practice has been going on since 2019, but has recently increased.
The Chinese security operation against the former British colony of Hong Kong, disagreements over Huawei Giant Technology Group’s participation in the launch of Britain’s fifth-generation Internet network, worries about the human rights situation in China, and the struggle for influence all contributed to the deterioration of relations between London and Beijing.
Britain is taking action to stop China from hiring its pilots, calling it “a threat to national security.”
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