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Around 30 former RAF pilots have been lured by Beijing to coach Chinese aviators in exchange for reported salaries of up to £240,000. The Defence Intelligence service is putting out a “threat alert” to warn personnel against approaches amid fears efforts are intensifying as tension between theWest and China grows.
And Armed Forces minister James Heappey said the Government will make it illegal to work for foreign militaries once the alert is issued.
Mr Heappey said the situation is “deeply uncomfortable” but stressed approaches to pilots are not illegal.
Tobias Ellwood, chairman of the Commons defence committee, suggested the 30 former pilots should lose British citizenship as they were “breaching the Official Secrets Act”.
It is thought China is attempting to modernise its military by driving standards towards those of Nato, with a strong focus on fast jet tactics and techniques.
All the pilots have experience flying fighter jets, including Typhoons, Jaguars, Harriers and Tornados, with Beijing using them to develop an understanding of how Western planes and pilots operate.
Mr Heappey admitted Whitehall has been concerned by Beijing’s recruitment campaign “for a number of years”.
He added: “We’ve approached the people involved and have been clear with them that it’s our expectation they would not continue to be part of that organisation.
“We are going to put into law that, once people have been given that warning, it will become an offence to continue with the training.
“China is a competitor that is threatening UK interests in many places around the world.
“There is no secret in its attempt to gain access to our secrets – and their recruitment of our pilots in order to understand the capabilities of our air force is clearly a concern to us.”
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