A People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Air Force WZ-7 high-altitude reconnaissance drone is seen a day before the 13th China International Aviation and Aerospace Exhibition in Zhuhai in southern China’s Guangdong province on Sept. 27, 2021. (Noel Celis/AFP via Getty Images)
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The Department of National Defence is looking into whether any former Canadian military pilots are involved in training Chinese aviators after the United Kingdom found some of its former pilots had accepted training roles in the Chinese military.
On Oct. 18, Britain’s Defence Ministry said it issued an intelligence alert to former and current military pilots, warning against Chinese headhunting programs aimed at recruiting pilots to train their People’s Liberation Army (PLA) counterparts.
As many as 30 former British military pilots are currently in China training PLA pilots, the BBC reported. The report said the pilots are being asked to provide vital and sensitive information such as how Western planes and pilots operate, in exchange for annual salaries of roughly 240,000 pounds (CA$370,000) to conduct the training, the BBC reported.
Similar recruitment attempts by the regime in Beijing have been a concern for the defense ministry for “a number of years,” UK Armed Forces Minister James Heappey said. He said the pilots known to be training the PLA have been asked to stop.
“China is a competitor that is threatening the UK interest in many places around the world,” Heappey told British news outlet Sky News. “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.”
Heappey also noted that British authorities are taking steps to make it a legal offence for pilots to continue with such training activities.
“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,” the British Ministry of Defence said in a statement.
Probe Begins in Canada
Following the reports, Canada’s Department of National Defence has begun an investigation into the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), said Daniel Le Bouthillier, the department’s head of media relations.
“We are aware of these reports, and we are looking into this further with federal partners,” he told the Globe and Mail.
He also noted that veterans are still bound by secrecy commitments after leaving the CAF.
“The Security of Information Act applies to both current and former members, and non-compliance with the act could result in serious consequences,” he told the Globe.
“As an institution that upholds democratic principles and the rule of law, we trust and expect current and former CAF members to adhere to the values of the institution. Any behaviour that could potentially harm Canadian national interests is a violation of this trust and will be dealt with appropriately.”
James Bezan, a Conservative member of the House of Commons of Canada and a defence critic, called for the CAF to launch an immediate investigation to determine “if any Canadians are undermining our collective national security,” the Globe reported.
“Anyone who has violated their obligations under Canadian law must be held to account.”
Several media outlets have reported that a South African flight school, the Test Flying Academy of South Africa, has been acting as the middleman for the PLA in recruiting pilots from the United Kingdom, Australia, and other Western countries.
On Oct. 19, Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles said its military has also begun probing whether its members are participating in training the Chinese military.