Reports circulating recently that Beijing is luring British ex-pilots with lots of money to train its air force. The British Ministry of Defense then announced “decisive steps”. Now Australia is also reacting attentively.
Australia has launched an investigation into possible cases in its own ranks following reports of China recruiting Western ex-Air Force pilots. He would be “deeply shocked and concerned” if it were confirmed that members of the Australian armed forces were “lured by a foreign country’s paycheck instead of serving their own country,” said Defense Minister Richard Marles in Tonga.
British media had previously reported that more than 30 ex-British Air Force pilots had agreed to train Chinese Air Force soldiers for over £240,000. “It’s a lucrative package that people are being offered,” the BBC quoted a Western official as saying. “Money is a powerful motivator.”
Retired pilots should therefore show how Western military aircraft and pilots operate. Information that could be relevant in the event of a conflict, such as over Taiwan. China is said to be using headhunters in its recruitment efforts.
The British Ministry of Defense then announced “decisive steps” to prevent Beijing from allegedly recruiting Western pilots to train “Personnel of the People’s Liberation Army”, a spokesman said.
China denied the targeted recruitment of British ex-pilots. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a press conference that he was “not aware of the circumstances mentioned.” In view of China’s increased presence in the Pacific, western countries have recently reacted with increasing alarm. The South Pacific is increasingly becoming the arena of competition between China and the United States. Beijing has been attempting to establish a larger military, political and economic presence in the South Pacific for some time.
