The British government said on Tuesday it was taking “decisive steps” against Chinese efforts to lure former and current British Air Force pilots to train its soldiers.
While British military personnel regularly participate in training missions with foreign armies, any cooperation of former pilots with China, which London has described as the “number one threat” to internal and global security, is of grave concern.
A spokesman for the British Defense Ministry told AFP: “We are taking decisive steps to stop Chinese recruitment programs to seek talent among current and former British Armed Forces pilots to train PLA personnel.”
secret contracts
The UK Ministry of Defense said it was “looking into the use of confidentiality agreements and nondisclosure agreements”, adding that all current and previous elements are subject to the Official Secrets Act which prohibits UK public sector employees United to share state secrets with outside powers.
The spokesman also added that “the new national security law will create additional tools to address modern security challenges, including this one.”
China’s national defense ministry did not respond to a request for comment from the AFP.
Hiring is on the rise
Interestingly, the British media reported that more than 30 former pilots had accepted bids worth over £ 240,000 ($ 273,750) and that many of those recruited were in their 50s and had recently left the British Air Force.
Additionally, reports say the practice has been running since 2019, but has recently increased.
Relations between London and Beijing have deteriorated after the Chinese security crackdown on the former British colony of Hong Kong and disagreements over the participation of tech giant Huawei in the launch of the fifth generation of the internet in Britain, as well as concerns over the rights situation. humans in China and the struggle for flu.
