London:

The British government said on Tuesday it was taking “decisive action” against a Chinese recruitment effort to bring in former and current British Air Force pilots to train its military personnel.

Since the British military personnel frequently participate in the training exercises with the foreign arms, toute collusion with the ex-pilots with the Chine – that London has been qualified as a “menace number one” by the national and global security – has a series issue.

“We are taking decisive action to stop Chinese recruitment programs that are trying to hunt down current and former British Armed Forces pilots to train personnel for the People’s Liberation Army,” a spokesman for the People’s Liberation Army told AFP. UK Ministry of Defence.

Armed Forces Minister James Heappey admitted to Sky News television that this collaboration “has been a concern within the Ministry of Defense for years.”

“Our counterintelligence specialists have looked at it closely,” he said.

“Recruiting pilots to understand the capabilities of our Air Force is clearly a concern for us and for the intelligence side of the Department of Defense. »

Heappey said officials have warned the pilots involved to resign.

“We are going to establish by law that once people have received this warning, it becomes a crime to continue with this training,” he said.

UK media said more than 30 former drivers had accepted offers of up to £240,000. Many of those recruited are over 50 years old and have recently left the British Air Force.

This practice has been around since 2019, but has recently intensified, according to reports.

The UK Ministry of Defense said it was “reviewing the use of confidentiality contracts and non-disclosure agreements”, adding that all current and former staff are subject to the Official Secrets Act, which prohibits British officials from share state secrets with foreign powers.

“The new Homeland Security Bill will create additional tools to address contemporary security challenges, including this one,” the spokesperson added.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin denied any knowledge of such employment of British pilots, telling a regular news conference: “I am not aware of the circumstances you mentioned.”

Relations between London and Beijing have soured following China’s crackdown on Britain’s former colony of Hong Kong and disputes over tech giant Huawei’s involvement in Britain’s 5G network rollout, as well as concerns over human rights and influence peddling.

In a speech in London this month, the director of Britain’s GCHQ spy agency, Jeremy Fleming, warned that China’s growing technological dominance was “an increasingly pressing problem” for Western countries, urging them to act in defense of their interests. values ​​and their influence.

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