Ministers want to change the law to prevent former RAF pilots from training the Chinese military, amid reports at least 30 British personnel are believed to have taken advantage of “very generous” recruitment packages offered by the superpower.
It emerged overnight that British defence intelligence is to issue a rare “threat alert”, warning that China’s military is trying to recruit serving and former RAF jet pilots to help train its own air force.
Officials expressed “concern and disapproval” of schemes because they posed “a threat to UK and western interests”. Although they are not explicitly banning pilots from providing training, they aim to take steps to “manage the risk”.
In the latest development, the armed forces minister, James Heappey, has said the government wants to change the law to introduce a two-strike rule which would result in British pilots being given one warning before they were prosecuted.
Heappey told Sky News: “We’ve approached the people involved and have been clear of 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 go forward and continue with that training.
“China is a competitor that is threatening the UK interest in many places around the world. It is also an important training partner but there is no secret in their 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 and the intelligence part of the MoD.”
Tobias Ellwood, Tory MP and former solider, said on Twitter there were “serious questions for the RAF”, adding: “We should not be surprised by China’s audacity in luring UK pilots to learn about our tactics. But we should be surprised there’s nothing akin to the Official Secrets Act preventing this – and the absence of patriotism of those involved.”
In a statement, the MoD said it was attempting to stop the recruitment of former and serving pilots.
A spokesman said: “We are taking decisive steps to stop Chinese recruitment schemes attempting to headhunt serving and former UK armed forces pilots to train People’s Liberation Army personnel in the People’s Republic of China.
“All serving and former personnel are already subject to the Official Secrets Act, and we are reviewing the use of confidentiality contracts and non-disclosure agreements across defence, while the new national security bill will create additional tools to tackle contemporary security challenges – including this one.”
